Faith, Hope, and Love
by PollyannaHeartie
Summary: This story begins soon after the season 1 finale (Prelude to a Kiss) ends. Elizabeth and Jack are getting to know each other better after their kiss. Abigail is uncertain about Bill. Henry Gowen is, as always, conniving as the trial continues. Rosemary is still bringing drama to the town. And some family visits Coal Valley. Enjoy! Comments to pollyanna..
1. Chapter 1

**Faith, Hope, and Love**

Chapter 1

_"And now these three remain: _

_faith, hope, and love._

_The greatest of these is love."_

_1 Corinthians 13: 13_

Constable Jack Thornton had been riding the trail since daybreak. His Mountie coat and hat were coated in dust, evidence of his long ride. As he caught sight of the buildings on the horizon, he smiled and prodded his horse to go just a little faster. When he finally turned off the trail and found himself back on Main Street in Coal Valley, he stopped to take in the town. He'd been gone for four nights after he'd received reports of trouble in some of the outer villages of his territory. As the Constable of Coal Valley, it was his responsibility to check on any problems in the area. Now, he was very glad to be back in Coal Valley and smiled as he recognized familiar faces and places on Main Street. Coal Valley was definitely his home now.

He rode up to the jailhouse, dismounted, and tied his horse to the rope hanging between the two posts. He glanced over to the saloon, which housed the school, and smiled widely. He'd left in such a hurry after receiving the telegram that he and Elizabeth only had time for a very hasty goodbye. So, he was quite anxious to see her again. He started to walk that way but checked himself. He pulled out his pocket watch and frowned when he saw it was only a little after one o'clock. Elizabeth would still be teaching school. He would just have to be patient for two more hours.

As soon as he opened the door of the jailhouse, he spotted Rip, the basset hound he'd adopted shortly after arriving in Coal Valley, sleeping on the floor near the stove. Rip opened his eyes and lifted his head a bit to greet Jack. "Yeah, I missed you, too, boy!" Jack laughed. Rip grunted and went back to sleep. Jack smiled and walked over to pat the dog. Elizabeth had been taking care of Rip while he was gone. Obviously, Rip had been well cared for and wasn't the least bit worried about Jack being gone.

After greeting his dog, he deposited his things in the cell he used as his bunk. Then, he busied himself with unpacking, typing reports, and cleaning the jailhouse, but his mind frequently stole back to Elizabeth and making plans for what they might do later today. Finally, at a quarter to three, he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get out of the jailhouse. So, he headed to the mercantile, right across the street from the saloon.

As Jack entered the mercantile, Ned Yost, the shopkeeper, called from the back room, "I'll be right out in a few minutes." Jack called back, "It's okay. I just have a few things to pick up." Jack grabbed some tins of food. Moving to the barrels of produce, he carefully picked a perfect apple for Elizabeth. He started to move to the front counter to checkout but then remembered the main reason he'd come to the mercantile: candles and pencils. He went back to the shelves and picked up both items.

Ned walked out from the back. "Oh, Constable! Good to have you back!" Ned greeted Jack. "Thanks, Ned," Jack replied. "How are things in Coal Valley? Have I missed anything?" Ned shook his head. "Things are about the same. All's been quiet since the trial went on break." Jack nodded. Ned continued, "Are things all settled out there in the west?" "Yes," Jack answered. "Things calmed down. Hopefully, they'll stay quiet."

Ned wrote Jack's purchases in the account book while Jack looked out the window. He saw the school children leaving the saloon and walking down the road. School had been dismissed. Jack smiled and turned back to Ned, who had already boxed his purchases. He picked up the box and called, "Thanks, Ned!" Then, he headed to the door.

"Uh... Constable?" Ned called after Jack. Jack turned around, a questioning look on his face."Um... well... do you think you'll be seeing Miss Thatcher sometime today?" Ned looked a bit uncomfortable asking this. Jack nodded. "Yes, I think I will," he answered keeping his voice as even as possible, trying not to reveal how much he was looking forward to seeing the schoolteacher. "I have a telegram for her. Received it a couple of hours ago. It didn't seem to be an emergency, so I didn't want to interrupt school." He reached behind him for the telegram. "Of course. I'll be happy to deliver it to her," Jack assured Ned.

Ned handed the telegram to Jack and he tucked it into his jacket. He headed back to the door, pulled the apple out of the box and shined it on his jacket, ready to present it to Elizabeth. Suddenly, there was a horrendous noise outside that startled both Ned and Jack. Jack opened the door and saw the stagecoach was barreling down the middle of Main Street. The driver had the team running at full speed and the resulting cacophony had the attention of everyone in town. The driver managed to yank the team to an abrupt stop in front of the store. Jack ran outside and was nearly knocked down by the driver, who had leapt off the stagecoach to run up the mercantile stairs. "Oh! Constable! You are exactly who I need!" the driver exclaimed. "We have a lady on the stagecoach who's really sick! I think she probably needs a doctor!"

Jack nodded to the driver as he threw the apple back in the box and dropped the box on the stairs. He quickly moved to the stagecoach. Opening the door, he saw a young man wiping a middle-aged woman's face with a handkerchief. The woman was clearly very sick as she was slumped on the seat and her face was red and sweaty. Jack noted that her eyes were closed and she appeared to be unconscious.

Jack turned to the young man, "How long has she been out? Do you know what happened to her?" The young man shrugged. "No, sir, I don't know what happened to her. I got on in Sherman, about two hours back. She looked like she was sleeping. She kept coughin' a lot. Then, all of a sudden, about a half hour ago, she just keeled over on the seat. I called to the driver and he told me to tend to her while he got us here as quick as he could. I just don't know what made her so sick."

Jack swiftly decided what to do. He climbed into the coach and scooped the lady into his arms. As he slowly backed out of the coach, he took great care not to hit the woman against the door frame. "Grab her things and follow me," he ordered the young man.

Jack carried the lady across the street, toward the saloon. He was about to turn around to tell the young man to open the door when the door flung open. "Jack!" Elizabeth called as she almost ran into Jack carrying the woman."Elizabeth! Hold the door, please!" he replied as he moved toward her. "Of course! Oh my goodness! What happened?" Elizabeth answered as she held the door open for Jack to enter.

Jack gently laid the woman down on a table not far inside the door. He turned back to Elizabeth, who was still in the doorway with a shocked expression on her face. "I'm not sure what happened, but she's very sick!" Jack explained.

The young man from the stagecoach came through the doorway and set the woman's purse and shawl on the floor. He quickly headed back outside. Jack nodded to the helpful young man from the stagecoach. "He was on the coach with her and said she was coughing and then passed out a while ago." He looked at the ill woman, then looked back at Elizabeth. "Is the company doctor in town?"

"I don't know. Let's see..." Elizabeth stepped towards Jack as she searched her memory. "He was in town last Friday because he checked on Stacy Williams and her new baby." Jack frowned and shook his head. "Then he's not in town this week." He studied the ill woman.

Elizabeth took a few steps toward Jack. Jack turned to her. "Would you get some cool cloths and tend to her a few minutes? I need to go get my kit. I'm not sure if there's anything in there that will help but we'll see what we can do for her. I'll be right back."

Jack headed for the door, a little surprised to see the driver, the young man, and Ned hanging there in the open door. He was about to head out the door when he was startled by Elizabeth's cry. "WHAT?! OH NO!"

He wheeled around and saw Elizabeth leaning over the ill women and crying. "Elizabeth?" He moved quickly to her side. "Aunt Olivia?!" Elizabeth cried. "What are you doing here?" Elizabeth wiped the woman's face with her hand. The only answer the woman gave was several deep coughs.

"Elizabeth, this is your aunt?" Jack asked, now back at Elizabeth's side. "Yes!" Elizabeth stroked her aunt's face. "I have no idea what she's doing here. I just... I don't know..." Jack placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Get those cool cloths and I'll be back with my kit." Elizabeth turned to Jack, clearly upset and fearful. "We'll take care of her. I'll be right back," he assured her.

He squeezed past the trio gathered at the door and ran across the road to the jailhouse. He nearly fell over Rip, who was sprawled out in the middle of the room. After he growled at Rip, he rushed over to grab his kit from behind his desk. The kit contained first aid and medical supplies that all Mounties kept for emergencies. He ran out of the jailhouse, leaped down the stairs, and rushed down the street back to the saloon.

By the time he returned to the saloon, much of the rest of the town had been alerted to the situation and a much larger crowd was gathered on the porch of the saloon. Jack maneuvered past them. Inside, he saw Elizabeth was wiping her aunt's face with a cloth and Abigail Stanton was feeling the woman's forehead. Mr. Trevoy, the bartender, stood nearby, anxiously watching.

Jack moved to the table and opened the kit. "She has a terrible fever, Jack, and it looks like she's having trouble breathing," Abigail apprised Jack, concern in her voice. "I'm afraid she may have pleurisy or pneumonia."

Elizabeth shut her eyes against the news. Both were very bad.

Jack opened his kit and began searching for something to help Olivia. Most of the materials in the kit were suited for first aid: bandages, dressing, needle, thread. He frowned, feeling that there was nothing he could do.

Elizabeth looked to Jack, "What can we do?" Tears were filling her eyes. Jack couldn't stand seeing her so upset. He started to say something but Abigail interjected, "We need to move her to our place above the cafe. She'll need some mustard plasters. Jack, do you have any aspirin in that kit of yours?" Jack looked in the kit, located the aspirin, and nodded. "Good. That might help with her fever." Abigail looked at Elizabeth. "The plasters should take care of the coughing and congestion. Let's get her resting as quickly as possible," Abigail instructed.

Jack guided Elizabeth away from her aunt so he could gently lift the woman. As the crowd outside the saloon made a path for them, Abigail led the way to the cafe, carrying Jack's kit, with Jack carrying Olivia behind her. Elizabeth walked next to Jack, holding her aunt's hand. When they reached the second floor of the cafe, Jack settled Olivia in Abigail's bed and Elizabeth tucked the sheets and blanket up around her. Jack spotted the chair that Abigail kept in the corner, slid it behind Elizabeth, and gently guided her to sit. He kissed her cheek tenderly and told her, "Abigail will take care of her. No worries!" Elizabeth looked at him, tears still in her eyes. He gave her shoulder a squeeze before heading downstairs.

He found Abigail in the kitchen, gathering supplies. "What can I do?" he asked. Abigail turned toward him. "Pray," she answered sternly.

Jack was surprised. Earlier, Abigail seemed so certain about treating Olivia. Now, he sensed she had doubts. "I don't know what else to do. My Peter was very ill with a cough when he was a boy. I made mustard plasters and placed them on his chest. They made him more ill, at first, but then he got well. I'm not sure if this will help Elizabeth's aunt, but it's all I can think of to do," she explained.

Jack nodded. "I agree. We need to do whatever we can. Elizabeth told me the company doctor was just here last week. So, he probably won't be back for two weeks, at the earliest. I doubt Gowen would do anything to get him back here earlier." Abigail frowned and nodded, "Oh, I doubt that, too. Will you hand me the flour? And get me a cup of water?"

Jack did as directed and watched as Abigail mixed the plaster ingredients. The smell of the mustard seeds was rather strong and irritated Jack's eyes. "I think I'll go check on Elizabeth," he told Abigail, leaving her to her work.

Jack ascended the stairs quickly and found Elizabeth holding her aunt's hand while gently wiping her face with a cloth. Jack noticed that Olivia was sweating profusely, her brown hair stuck to the sides of her face.

"I just can't understand," Elizabeth whispered, surprising Jack. He didn't know she'd heard him enter the room. He knelt next to her. "Why would she leave Toronto? I mean, my cousin lives in Victoria, so I could see her visiting there. But what would she be doing here in Coal Valley?"

"Well, I imagine she was coming to visit you." Jack looked up at Elizabeth. Elizabeth considered this for a moment before turning back to her aunt. She shook her head. "She would've let me know before she headed all the way here. She would've sent me a letter or a telegram. Or someone else from home would."

Jack reached into his red serge jacket, remembering that Ned had given him a telegram for Elizabeth. "This might be something..." Elizabeth turned to Jack, saw the telegram in his hand, and reached for it. "Ned asked me to bring this to you just before the stagecoach arrived," he explained.

She slowly opened the telegram. After briefly reading it, she dropped the telegram to the floor and returned to wiping her aunt's face."May I?" Jack asked. Elizabeth nodded slowly and he picked up the telegram. He read it aloud, "Dearest Beth: Am visiting old friends in Calgary. So close I must come to see you. Will be there on or near the 17th. Love Aunt Olivia."

"Today's the 17th," Elizabeth said. "She sent that telegram before she left Calgary. Why did we just get it today?" Jack shook his head. "I don't know. Ned told me he did just receive it today. The telegram people in Calgary must've been delayed sending it for some reason."

Elizabeth sighed with frustration. Olivia's string of deep coughs pierced the air, startling both Elizabeth and Jack. Elizabeth called to her, "Aunt Olivia! Please wake up! Please Aunt Olivia! Wake up and talk to me!" However, Olivia remained unresponsive.

Jack saw the tear run down Elizabeth's cheek and stretched his arm around her shoulders. Elizabeth leaned her head against Jack's shoulder as she held her aunt's hand. Jack gently stroked Elizabeth's arm.

Abigail came up the stairs a short time later, noting that Elizabeth and Jack broke their embrace as soon as they heard her. She crossed to the bed and began to tend to Olivia. She started to unbutton the women's dress but stopped short, looking up at Jack. "Uh..." Jack faltered momentarily. "I'll just head downstairs and get some coffee for us. I have a feeling it might be a long evening." He left the room quickly, closing the door behind him.

After he left, Abigail and Elizabeth turned back to Olivia. "Let me help you," Elizabeth offered as she reached to finish unbuttoning her aunt's dress. She opened the dress, revealing her aunt's corset. Abigail placed a square of flannel on Olivia's chest, just above the corset, and then reached for the jar she'd set on the bed next to Olivia. She opened the jar and the foul odor reached Elizabeth's nose almost immediately.

"Oh! Mustard plasters always smell so terrible! I dare say the illness leaves the body simply because it can't stand the odor!" Elizabeth exclaimed as her eyes again filled with tears, not due to sadness this time but rather the irritating smell. "That could be. Whatever it does, I pray it helps her," Abigail replied as she applied the plaster to the flannel cloth.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_"Faith makes things possible, _

_not easy."_

_~Author Unknown_

Very early the next morning, Jack knocked on the back door of Abigail's Cafe. Abigail answered, peeking around the barely opened door. "Jack! Do you know what time it is?" Abigail asked, wrapping the shawl more tightly around her against the morning chill. Jack looked very solemn."I know it's early, but I couldn't sleep. How's Elizabeth? And her aunt?"

Abigail sighed. "It was a long night. Her aunt seemed a little better after the third plaster, so I thought we should let her rest. I went to sleep in Elizabeth's room since she refused to leave her aunt's side. I found her there this morning, sleeping in the chair."

Jack nodded and was clearly concerned. "I'm sure Elizabeth will want to stay near her aunt until she's well." Abigail sighed and added, "I just pray her aunt will wake up soon. We need that fever to break." Jack nodded sternly before saying, "Shall I make some breakfast for you ladies?"

Abigail's eyes widened in surprise and she glanced back toward the kitchen. Jack noted her reaction and quickly recanted, "I'm sorry! Is that too forward of me? I just want to help." Abigail shook her head. "No, no... that's very kind of you, Jack," Abigail reassured. "It's just... well, I'm not really dressed for the day, yet." Jack looked down at his feet, clearly uncomfortable that he'd caught Abigail in her nightclothes. Abigail quickly continued, "But just give me a minute to get upstairs, then you can come in and prepare breakfast. You are welcome to anything in the kitchen, of course. It'll be nice to have someone serve me for a change." She smiled, clearly wanting to ease Jack's discomfort. "I will be happy to," Jack agreed and smiled back.

Abigail shut the door and Jack waited two minutes, just to be sure Abigail had enough time to get up the stairs, before opening the door. He located food for breakfast: eggs, ham, milk, and bread.

Meanwhile, Abigail hastily dressed after finding Elizabeth still sleeping and her aunt still fevered. Abigail checked Olivia, who coughed deeply several times, her cheeks slightly red. She was still perspiring, though not as profusely as last night. Abigail noted that Olivia's breathing was a bit labored this morning. She thought that more mustard plasters would be needed today. If she'd wake up, Abigail would prepare some broth and tea for her. Other than those treatments, she had no idea what else to do. The aspirin from Jack's kit would help Olivia's fever, but she needed to be awake to swallow it. Abigail prayed Olivia would rouse out of this soon.

She gave Elizabeth's shoulder a squeeze to wake her. Elizabeth quickly sat back up, blinking away the sleep. She looked to her aunt and reached for her hand.

"She seems a little better this morning," Abigail shared, hopefully. "How are you doing?" "I'm fine..." Elizabeth answered automatically. Then, turned quickly towards Abigail, she asserted, "Abigail, we need to get the company doctor back here! Can you think of any way we can get Mr. Gowen to send for him?"

Abigail nodded, "I know. But I'm not sure how we can do that." Elizabeth frowned and looked back at her aunt. Abigail hated seeing Elizabeth so upset. "I'll ask Mr. Gowen," Abigail told her, trying to sound hopeful, again, but she sincerely doubted Gowen would be helpful. His already unpleasant disposition had gotten worse during the trial. "Elizabeth, you need to get cleaned up. Jack is downstairs making us breakfast."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not leaving Aunt Olivia." She was emphatic. Abigail continued to try to get Elizabeth to take a break from sitting with her aunt, all to no avail. She headed back downstairs and found Jack finishing up his breakfast preparation. On the table was a basket of sliced bread, a pitcher of milk, a bowl of butter, and a plate of very crisp bacon. He was adding a plate of scrambled eggs when he looked up and saw Abigail coming down the stairs alone.

"Where's Elizabeth?" he asked. Abigail shook her head and frowned slightly. "She won't come down. She refuses to leave her aunt's side." Jack frowned and glanced up the stairs. Abigail sighed. "And I promised her I'd speak to Henry Gowen about sending for the company doctor." She sat down at the table, continuing to frown. "That should go well."

Jack looked back at Abigail, concerned. "Gowen won't be in the mood for helping anyone, especially with the trial continuing soon." He sat down at the table across from Abigail. "I know Gowen's attorneys asked the judge for more time and wanted to put off resuming the trial for a couple weeks. I had to leave town before the judge ruled. Is Judge Black still expected back at the end of this week?" he asked. Abigail nodded. "He'll be back over the weekend," she answered. "Bill will be back Thursday or Friday."

Jack considered that as Abigail prepared a plate for herself. He moved to the sink to clean the pan and utensils he'd used to cook the eggs. An uncomfortable silence fell over the kitchen for a few minutes. Jack finally broke the silence. "I'm going to go talk with her, alright?" Abigail nodded and smiled as Jack headed to the stairs.

Jack took the stairs two at a time and then stopped in the doorway of Abigail's room. He saw Elizabeth wiping her aunt's fevered brow. She stopped and clasped her hands together. She whispered, "Please, dear Lord, heal her. Please let her wake up." Jack smiled, closed his eyes, and added his own silent prayer.

"Jack!" Elizabeth called when she saw Jack was in the room. His eyes snapped open as she'd startled him out of his prayer. "Elizabeth!" he answered back quickly. "How are you? And how's your aunt?"

"I don't know... Abigail seems to think she's doing better. I'm still so worried, Jack. I just wish she would wake up and talk to me!" She turned back to her aunt and wiped her forehead. "I know. I know," he agreed as he walked over and knelt beside her. He reached for her hands and cupped them in his. "Elizabeth," he began in a hushed, soothing voice. "You have got to take care of yourself." She started to interrupt him with a protest, but he continued on. "I know you don't want to leave her side. But you need to get something to eat. You didn't eat any dinner last night. You need to have some breakfast."

"What if she wakes up and I'm not here?" she asked. Jack considered this for a moment. "What if I sit with her? She wouldn't be alone and I'll call you if she stirs at all." He looked at her, his eyebrows raised in a plea.

Elizabeth looked at Jack for several seconds and finally nodded. "Okay." She stood up and started for the door. Jack slid into the chair she'd vacated and surveyed Olivia. Elizabeth stopped before leaving the room and walked back to Jack. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you!" she breathed into the side of his face. Jack smiled and watched her leave the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_"Here's a pretty kettle of fish..."_

_~Henry Fielding_

Dottie Ramsey walked down Main Street heading toward the mercantile. She walked quite proudly down the street, as if she owned the town. Gliding up the stairs to the store, she met Rosemary Leveaux exiting the store. "Rosemary!" she exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! We have so many things we need to discuss! This morning, I was thinking about the production and I think we need to change some things. I have some ideas..."

Rosemary smiled, her well-trained actress smile, though her eyes revealed that she most certainly did not want to discuss the production with Dottie. It really irked Rosemary that Dottie Ramsey thought she knew more about dramatic productions than she did. "Certainly, Dottie," she answered coolly, "but I must supervise the painting of the backdrops. Some of the children are painting them for us and they have never taken on such a project before." She answered diplomatically, though she almost gritted her teeth. "I may not be back from the row houses until late this evening."

"Oh, well," Dottie was obviously disappointed. "It's a pity you couldn't convince Constable Thornton to paint the backdrops for us." Rosemary's eyes flared and she frowned as she recalled Jack's sharp rebuff when she had asked him to paint the backdrops for the production. Much to Rosemary's chagrin, he'd refused to have anything to do with the production.

Dottie's eyes suddenly widened as she had a new idea. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I shall meet you out there! I need to speak with some of the mothers, anyway, about our upcoming town social." She nodded firmly and headed into the store. Rosemary was shaking her head and about to tell Dottie not to come out to the row houses, when Dottie called over her shoulder in a sing-song voice, "See you later today!" Then, she entered the store and shut the door behind her.

Rosemary closed her eyes and exhaled. "I can't take much more of this Coal Valley..." she grumbled to herself. She was startled from her private misery as a distant voice, from one of Mr. Trevoy's barkeeps, called, "Mornin', Miss Leveaux!" The forced smile returned to her face instantly. "Good morning!" she called back as the young man smiled and waved as he approached her. "Miss Leveaux..." he started, his voice quivering. "Ummm.. well..."

Rosemary exhaled her irritation while maintaining her affected smile. She knew what he was going to ask. It was the same question he'd asked her last week and the week before.

The young man inhaled sharply, screwed up his courage and blurted out his question, "Would you care to dine with me?" Rosemary began to shake her head and started her usual rebuff. "Oh, we'd eat at Abigail's Cafe not the saloon," he quickly offered, his voice still quite nervous. "Only the nicest place in town for you, ma'am." He beamed expectantly.

"I appreciate your very generous and terribly appealing offer, but, as I told you last week, I am so very busy planning the production that I simply do not have time. Thank you, again, but I must decline, again." The last "again" was spoken emphatically. She hoped this was the last time he'd ask her to dinner.

Clearly disappointed, the young man shook his head. "Oh, yes, ma'am, I understand. Of course." Rosemary nodded and started to walk away. "Perhaps!" the young barkeep exclaimed, startling Rosemary slightly. "Perhaps, after the production is over you'll have some time in your schedule. I'll speak with you then. Good day, Miss Leveaux!" He set off down the street, a hopeful bounce to his stride.

Rosemary, on the other hand, watched him leave, clearly unhappy with the young man's persistence. She exhaled sharply and, as she turned to head toward the row houses, she spotted Jack walking from the jailhouse to Abigail's Cafe. Her mouth moved into a full frown. She turned on heel and headed off in the opposite direction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_"Love is patient, love is kind. _

_It does not envy, it does not boast, _

_it is not proud."_

_1 Corinthians 13:14_

Jack entered Abigail's Cafe, carrying some fabric in his hand. He spotted Elizabeth in the kitchen."Morning, Elizabeth!" he called, smiling widely. "Oh!" she quickly replied after he'd startled her. "Morning, Jack!" He moved through the dining room toward here. "How's your aunt doing today?" She shook her head, but didn't answer.

Jack exhaled sharply and nodded once. "I cut up an old flannel shirt of mine." He showed her the squares of cloth in his hand. "I thought Abigail might be able to use it for some of the plasters." "Thank you," she said, looking into his eyes to convey her thanks as he handed her the flannel pieces. She turned to place the cloth on the counter and told him, "Help yourself to some coffee." Jack nodded, grabbed a cup from the shelf, and walked to the urn to pour his coffee.

Elizabeth continued, "Abigail is putting another plaster on Aunt Olivia right now. She says she's sure the fever is coming down. I'm not so sure. Aunt Olivia still hasn't woken up."

Jack stopped pouring coffee from the large urn. The pitch of Elizabeth's voice had risen slightly and the speed of her words had picked up. As she continued talking, her words picked up speed like a snowball going downhill. "I know I should probably send word home to my parents and Uncle Charles about her, but I just don't know what to tell them. Should they drop everything and travel here as quickly as possible? Is it that serious? Or will she wake up later today or tomorrow and be herself again? And when will that company doctor come back? We need him! I just don't know what else we can do! And then there's school! We were trying to get in a few more days of school until the trial started back but I just can't leave Aunt Olivia! I don't know what to do! The children need..."

She stopped abruptly as Jack grasped her shoulders and eased her into a chair. She turned around and looked up at him. "What?" she asked sharply. "Take some deep breaths," he urged as he walked around to face her. She shook her head. "I don't have time for this. I need to get back up..." "Deep breaths," Jack cut her off in mid-sentence. She glared at him, clearly impatient with him, but then her expression eased. "In," he softly ordered. She closed her eyes and obeyed. "And... out..." he continued,

She took two more deep breaths, before opening her eyes and looking up at Jack. "Now, we have time to decide what news you should send to your family. And I'll see if Gowen will tell me where the company doctor is this week." Elizabeth smiled at him, the first smile he'd seen from her since her Aunt Olivia had arrived so ill. He continued, "We'll keep tending to her and we'll keep praying for her. If you'd like, I'll get Cat or the reverend to stop by to offer some prayers with you." Elizabeth appeared to relax as a Jack spoke. "It would be nice to have Cat come by to pray with us," she answered, clearly liking the idea.

"And as for school, I'm sure the mothers understand that you have to be with your aunt while she's so sick," he assured her. "Anyway, I thought they'd suspended school during the trial so we could use the saloon?" Elizabeth nodded. "They did. But, since the trial was put on hold for a couple days, I thought we could squeeze in some school days. But now, I guess that will have to wait." She glanced upstairs.

Jack followed her gaze before speaking again. "Okay, then you go upstairs and help Abigail. And I'll go see Gowen and Cat before I head off for my patrol." He drank his half cup of coffee in one gulp before flashing a smile at Elizabeth and heading for the door.

"Jack?" Elizabeth called. He turned back. "Thank you!" She smiled sincerely. "Why don't you come to dinner tonight? I'll make you some biscuits to thank you for everything you're doing to help." "Sure," he answered with a chuckle."I could use some paperweights for my desk!" he threw over his shoulder as he turned back to the door. "Jack Thornton!" Elizabeth scolded, a little laughter in her voice. He turned back and winked at her before heading off toward the Pacific Northwest Mine office.

Elizabeth moved toward the stairs but stopped when she saw Abigail coming down them carrying the used mustard plaster. The smell of it made Elizabeth wince. "How is she?" Elizabeth asked, hoping fervently for good news. Abigail shook her head slightly. "Sometimes it takes awhile for the mustard plasters to work." Elizabeth nodded, knowing that Abigail was trying to keep their hopes up. "I'm worried that she hasn't had anything to eat or drink for two days," Elizabeth stated as she walked back toward the kitchen table. "I know. I'm hesitant to try to sit her up and force fluids. We don't want to make things worse," Abigail explained.

"Jack's going to ask Cat to come by. Perhaps she can lead us in a healing prayer," Elizabeth offered, doing her part to keep their optimism alive. "That will be nice," Abigail agreed, smiling. She looked out at the empty dining room and sighed. "Elizabeth, in the meantime, would you mind if I reopened the cafe? I don't believe your aunt's illness is contagious. We were closed for dinner after your aunt arrived and all day yesterday." "No, no!" Elizabeth answered. "Of course, you should reopen the cafe. If you don't mind, though, I'll stay upstairs with Aunt Olivia." "Of course," Abigail concurred as she began preparing the lunch meal for her customers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; _

_courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."_

_~Winston Churchill_

Jack approached the mine office, his thoughts were apprehensive but his steps were confident. He hoped that by some small miracle Gowen and his Pinkertons would be at the mine leaving Gowen's assistant, Will Burns, alone at the office. Jack was sure that he would have a much easier time extracting the information about the doctor's whereabouts from the assistant than from Gowen. Jack had never actually spoken with the assistant, but the young man seemed quite unsure of himself.

Jack opened the door to the office and no one was there. He frowned. He wanted to get matters handled quickly so he could ease Elizabeth's worries. Just then, Gowen's assistant entered from the back. "How may I help you, Constable?" Will asked, a slight quaver in his voice.

"Is Mr. Gowen not in the office today?" Jack queried. The young man shook his head. "No, he's taking care of some business at the mine this morning." Jack's mouth curled into a smile. "Well then, yes, you can help me. Do you know where the company doctor is traveling this week?" "I'm not sure," Will answered.

Jack exhaled and frowned. Burns noted this and continued, "But let me just check something..." His voice trailed off as he moved to Gowen's desk. He clearly wanted to appear to be a competent assistant. Quickly, he flipped through some papers before stopping, finding what he'd sought. "Ah, here it is. He's up in Hinton this week. He'll be heading over to Dodd next week." The young assistant looked at Jack with a proud smile, clearly pleased he'd found the requested information.

"Thank you," Jack replied. His smile widened a bit with the news that the doctor was not too far away this week. He needed to get a telegram sent as soon as possible. He turned to leave the office.

"Uh... Constable, would you like me to relay a message to Mr. Gowen?" Will called.

Jack turned around quickly. "No, thank you. That was all I needed." He started to leave again, but then turned around to add emphatically, "No need to bother Mr. Gowen." With that, he nodded and left.

He smiled as he strode quickly to the mercantile. He figured the good Lord was definitely smiling on him as he had gotten that information much easier than he could've ever hoped. Jack needed to get the telegram sent immediately. Despite Jack's instruction, the assistant might report his visit to Gowen and Jack knew that Gowen would not be happy about that.

Elizabeth and Jack shared a quick dinner in the kitchen of Abigail's Cafe before Jack accompanied Elizabeth back to sit with her aunt in Abigail's room. They had moved an extra chair for Jack into the room, which was now quite crowded.

"I keep praying that she'll wake up. I so want to hear her voice!" Elizabeth told Jack.

Jack glanced between Elizabeth and her aunt. "So, tell me about your aunt. Have you two been especially close?" Elizabeth shook her head. "Not really. That's why I'm surprised she's here. Her oldest, Melanie, and I went to school together but Melanie married a businessman from Victoria three years ago and they have a baby that must be..." Elizabeth did some mental calculation, "hmmm... I guess about a year and a half now. Wow! Time flies!"

Jack smiled at Elizabeth as she continued, "She and Uncle Charles have a son and daughter younger than me. Last I heard, Charlie was attending the Royal Military College and Vicki... well, Victoria... was studying art in Italy."

Jack's eyes widened. He knew Elizabeth's family was wealthy but Elizabeth never really acted like she was rich. Hearing about her cousins' pursuits clearly showed just how much money her family had. It made him a little uncomfortable but he chided himself. He knew Elizabeth well and, though her family had money, it did not change the wonderful person he knew was "the one" for him.

"Why would she be traveling out here?" Jack asked. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She wiped away some perspiration that was beading up on her aunt's forehead. "Maybe... maybe she decided to visit Melanie in Victoria. But that still doesn't explain what she's doing here."

Olivia stirred and coughed deeply several times. She seemed to gasp for air briefly and Elizabeth stroked her arm to calm her. "Shhhh..." she soothed. "It's okay. Just rest and heal. Please get better and wake up!" Tears began to fill Elizabeth's eyes, again. Jack, noting her tears, reached out to her. He slowly rubbed circles on her back as they sat in silence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"_There is only one happiness in life: _

_to love and be loved."_

_~George Sand_

The next morning, Cat Montgomery was seated with Abigail in the cafe sipping coffee. The breakfast crowd was long gone and it would be another hour before someone came looking for one of Abigail's hot lunches.

"Thank you for coming, Cat! Your prayer was so comforting! I know it really helped Elizabeth." Cat smiled. "I'm so glad Jack stopped by yesterday and told me you and Elizabeth would like my company. I'd heard about Elizabeth's aunt, of course. In this town, nothing is kept quiet for longer than a minute! I have been praying for her aunt's healing since I heard." Cat took a sip of coffee. "Abigail, she hasn't shown any sign of waking in more than two days?" Abigail shook her head and sipped her own coffee.

Cat considered this. "How's Elizabeth doing? She looked pale..." "I know," Abigail agreed. "It's just such a shock. She had no idea her aunt was coming and then she arrived so ill. Her telegram arrived the same time she did. But there was no explanation for what she's doing out here."

Cat took another sip of coffee. "Well..." She seemed to hesitate before continuing. "I guess it's at least good timing as it seems she and Jack Thornton have finally acknowledged that they have feelings for each other. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever..." she trailed off with a laugh.

Abigail was a bit surprised. "You knew, too?" she asked. "Oh my goodness, Abigail, who didn't? I mean I think even poor old Wendell Backus knew! It was as plain as day!' Both women laughed.

"Well, let's hope that the rocky path they've had so far becomes smoother now," Abigail offered, turning serious. "Is Rosemary the Great Actress out of the picture?" Cat asked. Abigail sighed. "I hope so. Of course, she hasn't left town and is putting on that play with Dottie Ramsey in the lead." Cat scoffed. "Dottie Ramsey has to be in charge of EVERYTHING!" Abigail smiled. "But, at least Rosemary seems to be leaving Jack alone. I just hope she continues to leave him and Elizabeth alone." Cat added, her eyes glancing heavenward, "From your lips to God's ears!"

After lunch, Abigail was placing yet another mustard plaster on Olivia's chest. Elizabeth sat, as usual, in the chair next to the bed holding her aunt's hand. Abigail noted that Olivia appeared clammy now and wondered if perhaps the fever might be breaking.

As Abigail watched Olivia's face for any signs of awakening, she whispered, "Please, God, let this work. Please let her wake up soon." She, then, turned away from the bed and was about to leave the room, when Elizabeth gasped. Abigail turned toward Elizabeth and saw that she was wide-eyed, her mouth open in shock. Abigail followed Elizabeth's gaze to Olivia's face and was astonished to see Olivia's eyes were blinking. She was moving her lips, too, though she wasn't speaking. Abigail moved quickly back to the bedside.

"Aunt Olivia!" Elizabeth cried. "Aunt Olivia, can you hear me? Oh please tell me you can hear me!" Elizabeth clutched her aunt's hand close to her as she and Abigail waited expectantly for Olivia's response.

Olivia shook her head, continued blinking her eyes, then let out a horrendous string of coughs. Elizabeth stroked her aunt's hand, trying to calm the her. Abigail wiped Olivia's forehead soothingly. Olivia's coughing quelled and her blinking calmed. She appeared to be trying to focus her eyes. She looked toward Abigail and then slowly her eyes turned toward Elizabeth. Elizabeth smiled at her aunt. "Aunt Olivia, can you hear me? Can you hear me?" she asked in a loud voice.

Olivia slowly licked her lips and moved her mouth a bit. Finally, she spoke in a raspy voice, "Yes." Then she cleared her throat before continuing. "Of course I can, Beth. I'm not deaf like Grandmother Thatcher!"

Elizabeth smiled and she released the breath she'd been holding, so relieved to finally hear her aunt's voice. Aunt Olivia's body convulsed in another string of violent coughs. When her body finally calmed, Olivia complained, "What is that hellacious odor?"

Abigail realized what Olivia was complaining about and quickly lifted the mustard plaster from Olivia's upper chest. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Thatcher! It's a mustard plaster. You've been quite ill and we were using that to try to help you." Olivia looked at Abigail but didn't say anything.

"Aunt Olivia, this is my dear friend Abigail Stanton," Elizabeth explained. "She has been so helpful with treating you while you've been so sick."

Olivia coughed again, this time she was quite out of breath when she finished coughing. Then, it took her awhile to slow her breathing again. It was clear that, though Olivia was awake now, she was still very sick.

"Elizabeth?" Jack's voice from downstairs startled Abigail and Elizabeth. "I'll go," Abigail told Elizabeth and moved from the room.

Olivia opened her eyes again and looked at Elizabeth. It seemed she hadn't heard Jack's call. Elizabeth sat back down and asked her aunt, "Do you feel up to drinking some tea? Or some broth? We need to get some fluids in you." Olivia nodded. "I guess so," she rasped before more coughs racked her upper body.

Elizabeth winced, worried terribly about her aunt. "Maybe no more talking right now. I'll go get some tea for you and then you can rest," Elizabeth told her aunt. Olivia's eyes met Elizabeth's with a questioning look. "How did I get here?" she whispered. Elizabeth frowned slightly. "You were on the stagecoach and became ill. They brought you here to Coal Valley and we have taken care of you ever since."

More coughs from Olivia as she tried to say something. "Shhh..." Elizabeth shushed her aunt. "Just rest and I'll be back with the tea in a minute." She gently placed Olivia's hand on the bed and stood. Before she left the room, she glanced back to her aunt. Her aunt closed her eyes slowly and appeared to be following Elizabeth's directions. Elizabeth headed out of the room and down the stairs.

Abigail was talking with Jack when Elizabeth descended the stairs to the kitchen. "Elizabeth," Jack called to her, "Abigail told me that your aunt's woken up!" Elizabeth nodded as she headed past Jack to the stove. "Yes, but she is still so ill! Every time she speaks, she has the most awful coughing fit!" She turned back to Jack and asked, "Any word from the doctor, Jack?"

"As a matter of fact, I stopped by to tell you that I'd had a telegram from him. He's going to come back to Coal Valley before heading on to Dodd. He should be here tomorrow," Jack shared. "Oh, thank you!" Elizabeth leapt from the stove into Jack's arms. "Thank you so much!"

Jack was pleasantly surprised by Elizabeth's sudden embrace and returned it immediately. Then, remembering that they were not alone, they broke their hug quickly. As they stepped away from each other, Elizabeth busied herself with the teapot and Jack, for lack of a better occupation, fumbled with his hat.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_"Into each life some rain must fall."_

_~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow_

Down the street at the mine office, Henry Gowen was shuffling through the papers on his desk, hunting for a particular file. He was clearly frustrated that he hadn't been able to locate it. Will, his assistant, sat at his much smaller desk, nervously watching his boss. He found Gowen intimidating and, frankly, downright scary at times, especially since the trial had begun. "Um..." Will haltingly began, "may I help you, sir?"

"I'm trying to find the file with mine purchase records," Gowen growled. He was almost throwing papers into the air. "I know it's there, sir." Will moved to Gowen's desk. "I just saw it the other day when I located the file with the company doctor's information for the constable." The assistant started to sort through files on the far side of Gowen's desk.

Gowen stopped abruptly and looked sharply at his assistant. "What? The constable? He was here? When?!" Will immediately regretted mentioning the constable's visit. He should've kept that information to himself, as the constable had suggested."Oh! Ummmm... well...," the assistant stalled.

"WHEN?" Gowen yelled, prompting the Pinkerton standing outside the door to open the door and look inside. "What did he want?" Will straightened and met Gowen's gaze only briefly before studying his hands, which were shaking.

Abigail, who had immensely enjoyed watching Elizabeth and Jack's affectionate display in her kitchen, realized that she needed to break the silent awkwardness now. "Well, I'm going to get some water to wash the lunch dishes," she explained. "Abigail, I can do that for you," Jack quickly offered. "Thank you, Jack," Abigail deflected him, "but I can certainly get some water..."

"CONSTABLE!" Gowen's bellow got the attention of everyone in the kitchen. Jack took a couple of steps into the dining room, putting himself between Abigail and Elizabeth and Gowen, who was now in the center of the dining room. Gowen's face was red and he was clearly seething with anger.

"What is it you want, Mr. Gowen?" Jack asked evenly, though he certainly already knew what Gowen wanted.

Gowen brought his lips together in a pout and took a deep breath before speaking again. "I understand that you spoke with my assistant day before yesterday. He told me you asked him where the company doctor is this week. Why did you want that information?" Jack shrugged. "Because I wanted to know where the doctor is this week," he replied simply.

Gowen exhaled sharply. "Why did you want that information? Does this have something to do with the trial? Do you think the doctor has information that would be helpful to this ridiculous lawsuit? You cannot just sneak information from my assistant to be used for the trial!" Gowen took a breath and looked past Jack, seeing Elizabeth and Abigail for the first time since he'd entered the cafe. His eyes widened as he finally put things together. "Wait! Are you hoping I'll summon the doctor back here? You want him here for the schoolteacher's aunt?" Jack shook his head. "No, I'm not asking for you to summon him."

"He is the COMPANY doctor. He is paid to take care of employees of the company. Neither the schoolteacher not her aunt are employees. The doctor has his rounds to make for the company and he will not be back in Coal Valley for a couple weeks," Gowen instructed.

"Miss Thatcher, "Jack said, pointedly, to Gowen. "What?" Gowen asked impatiently. Jack looked coolly at Gowen. "You keep referring to her as the schoolteacher. She's standing right here and her name is Miss Thatcher." It was Jack's turn to instruct Gowen.

Gowen just stared at Jack for several moments before continuing, "In the future, you will address all questions to me not to my assistant." He turned and began to stride out of the cafe. "As the constable of this town, I will address anyone with whom I need to speak," Jack said commandingly. "I am, also, not an employee of your mine, Mr. Gowen, therefore I do not take orders from you. Are we clear?".

Gowen, who had stopped as he'd opened the door to exit the cafe, turned back to face Jack. He narrowed his eyes and nodded once before leaving the cafe, slamming the door behind him.

"Jack!" Elizabeth called as she rushed to Jack's side. She hooked her arm through his and Jack clamped his hand over hers. "That was amazing! You handled him perfectly!" she exclaimed, looking at him admiringly.

"Yes it was! I just wonder what he'll do tomorrow when the doctor arrives in town?" Abigail asked, amusement in her voice. "I guess we'll find out soon enough," Jack answered.

The next morning, Gowen accosted the doctor in front of the cafe shortly after he'd arrived back in town. The doctor informed Gowen that it was his choice to make the unscheduled return to Coal Valley. He assured Gowen that he would, indeed, be in Dodd as planned on Monday. When Gowen countered that he was the company doctor and therefore should only be caring for company employees, the doctor informed Gowen that he was obliged by the Hippocratic Oath to care for all the sick. Elizabeth added that they would pay for the good doctor's services and time. Gowen headed back to his office, all his arguments exhausted but still clearly furious.

The doctor examined Olivia and informed her caregivers that Olivia did, indeed, have pneumonia. The fever had broken, but she was still very ill. He gave them two medicines to give to her. He told Abigail to continue the mustard plasters twice a day, so long as Olivia was coughing a lot. Further, he ordered that Olivia needed to get up, walk around, and sit up as much as possible. Movement would help break up the congestion as would drinking fluids. He assured Elizabeth that her aunt was through the worst of the illness and was now well on the mend thanks to the care she'd been given.

After several protests and rebuffs, the doctor finally accepted Elizabeth's money and Abigail's offer of a warm meal before he got back on the road. Before leaving town in his horse and buggy, he assured them that he would be back in Coal Valley in two weeks. He hoped to see Olivia completely healed when he returned.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_"Joy is a net of love _

_by which you catch souls."_

_~Mother Teresa_

Later that day, Jack was seated at his desk, typing reports, when Rip snorted. He glanced over at the canine laying on the cool floorboards and shook his head."Will you not do anything at all to earn your keep?" Jack asked the dog, who completely ignored him. Jack shook his head and laughed briefly before turning back to his reports. He started to type but was startled by the jailhouse door opening.

"Hello, Jack!" Bill Avery called as he entered. Rip barked at Bill, though remained prone on the floor. "And Rip!" Bill added with a laugh. Jack stood and shook the hand of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police forensic investigator. "Are you just getting back to town?" Bill walked over to pet Rip. "Actually, I stopped at Abigail's Cafe first. Abigail told me about Elizabeth's aunt. In fact, her aunt came downstairs to have some tea while I was there. It looks like the poor woman has been very ill," Bill shared.

"She came downstairs?" Jack was surprised. Earlier, Olivia had been too weak to do more than take a few steps in Abigail's room. "That's very good to hear!" Bill agreed, "Yes. Elizabeth helped her down the stairs, but she seemed to be doing alright." He took a few steps towards Jack's desk. "They, also, told me about you dealing with Gowen."

Jack looked up, wondering if he was about to be reprimanded by his superior. "Well done," Bill heartily congratulated him. "You handled him very well, it seems." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see. It might come back to haunt us later." Jack wondered about Gowen's vindictiveness. He shook off the thought and changed the subject. "So, when is Judge Black due back in town? Monday?" Bill nodded, "He should arrive on the stagecoach tomorrow or Sunday. I don't think he'll entertain Gowen's attorney requesting any more delays. He only allowed this one since his brother had passed away and he had to help the family care for his affairs. No, we need to be ready for Monday."

"Who will you call to testify?" Jack asked. Bill studied Jack for a moment. "You're wondering if I'll call Pinkerton Richardson, aren't you?" Jack nodded and Bill continued, "I am considering it. Seriously considering it. He may not know anything. Then again, he may know a great deal. He's not on my current witness list but I can submit a revised list to the judge when he returns. Are you sure they were burning files?" Jack nodded. "The night Patrick O'Reilly and I went to Gowen for help to rescue Elizabeth and her sister, he was standing in front of the fireplace and Pinkerton Richardson was standing next to the file cabinet. There were papers in the fireplace. And Gowen wanted us out of there quickly." "Good observational skills, mountie!" Bill exclaimed. "You may have the makings of a fine detective." Bill slapped Jack on the shoulder and headed out of the jailhouse. "I'll see you later." Jack considered Bill's words for a few moments after Bill left, then something out the window caught his eye: Elizabeth was walking across the street towards the store. He rushed out to meet her.

"Elizabeth!" he called as he practically leaped down the jailhouse stairs. "Jack!" she called after whirling around to face him. "How's your aunt?" he asked as he caught up to her. Elizabeth smiled. "She's doing so much better! She came downstairs a little while ago and had tea with Abigail and I."Jack nodded. "Bill told me. Sounds like she is healing quickly!"

Jack motioned that he'd walk with Elizabeth and they fell in step together. "So, have you been able to find out what she's doing out here?" Elizabeth replied, "She's strong enough today to talk more without coughing terribly. She decided to travel west to visit some old friends in Calgary. She said when she realized how close I was, she just had to come see me. Next, she'll head to Victoria to visit Melanie and her family. But, she needs to get her strength back before she goes anywhere."

"Of course," Jack concurred as they climbed the stairs to the mercantile. He took Elizabeth's hand, stopping her before she entered the store, "Do you think... I mean, since your aunt is feeling better... Could you and I maybe go for a walk this evening? Or tomorrow? I'd love to show you how much work Mr. Miller has done on the schoolhouse. And then perhaps we could walk by the lake."

Elizabeth smiled. "I think we could take a walk tomorrow. I'd love to see how the schoolhouse and church are looking." Jack's smiled widened and he reached to open the door for Elizabeth.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_"I am prepared for the worst_

_and hope for the best."_

_~Benjamin Disraeli_

That evening, Jack suggested that he and Bill have chili and cornbread at the saloon. Elizabeth and Abigail were exhausted from caring for Olivia and keeping the cafe open. Elizabeth told Jack earlier that all they wanted to do was have some tea and biscuits and go to sleep.

Bill took a bite of cornbread and frowned as he chewed. "I've missed Abigail's cooking all week." Jack nodded. "I know this meal certainly doesn't measure up to any of Abigail's delicious meals, but the ladies do deserve a rest tonight." "They do," Bill agreed, settling in to the meal.

"So, were you able to find out anything of use while you were in Edmonton?" Jack inquired. Bill looked around, wanting to be sure neither Gowen nor any of his men were within earshot. He and Jack were, in fact, alone in that corner of the saloon. Everyone else, mostly single miners, were seated at tables near the piano. They were obviously anticipating the evening's entertainment.

"Well, unfortunately, not much," Bill shared in a voice loud enough only for Jack to hear. "I was checking into Gowen's employment history to see if there's any pattern of mismanaging mines. I contacted the head office of the Green Valley Mines, where he worked before joining Pacific Northwest, and they sent his records to the Edmonton office. I've been going through them. It's not clear, but it does look like he was caught ignoring or even destroying some gas level records at the other mine." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Gas levels? That's what we believe caused the explosion here." Bill nodded. "I think we might be able to establish a pattern."

Bill took another bite of cornbread before continuing. "I do think we're going to have to add another witness to the list," he said around the bite of cornbread. "You mean the Pinkerton?" Jack asked. Bill shook his head. "No. I think we need to call Randall Pope, the President of Pacific Northwest Mine Company." Jack shook his head, shock in his eyes. "But he's in New York. How could he possibly get all the way here for the trial?" Bill smiled. "He's not in New York. He's in Calgary. I found out while I was in Edmonton." "But, what would his testimony do for the case?" Jack asked. "He was the recipient of that telegram you found in the trash at the store," Bill explained. "Perhaps he can shed some light on the negligence and safety violations referred to in that telegram." "That would be good," Jack agreed as he took another bite of chili.

Just then, jaunty music from the piano broke the relative silence of the saloon. Rosemary's voice ripped through the saloon singing, "When the Saints Go Marching In." Jack put down his spoon. Rosemary had told him she was leaving Coal Valley but then Jack heard that the mayor's wife talked her into staying to form a drama guild. Jack had decided he would just have to get used to Rosemary's presence in town. Actually, he hadn't seen her since he had given Elizabeth the drawing and they had talked about their relationship. Perhaps she had accepted Jack's assertion that he wanted to pursue his relationship with Elizabeth. He hoped so because he really didn't want to deal with Rosemary's stubborn streak. He still couldn't understand why she was staying in Coal Valley. After all, she had headed to New York because she was so bored and miserable in their hometown. Coal Valley was even smaller.

"Want some more, Jack?" Mr. Trevoy's question pulled Jack out of his thoughts. "Ah, no, no thank you," Jack answered. Bill took one last bite of chili and tossed the spoon into the bowl. "Thank you, Mr. Trevoy. That was...," he chose his words carefully, "interesting and nourishing." Trevoy acknowledged the backhanded compliment with a short grunt as he cleared the dishes.

"So," Jack said, refocusing on he and Bill's dinnertime conversation topic, "any idea what tactics Pacific Northwest's lawyer will attempt? That lawyer and Gowen seem to be pretty tight." "I'm sure they'll be trying to paint Noah Stanton as the author of all the bad practices and the reason the mine exploded. I did get Noah's employment records from the Central Mine," Bill shared. "And is it as Gowen described?" Jack asked. "Was he fired?" Bill shook his head. "I got them just before I had to leave Edmonton. I need to go through them before Monday. The one paper I did see indicates that Noah and his superior had a disagreement. I need to find out what that was about."

Bill hesitated for a moment, considering what to say. Finally he said, "And, umm... Jack?" Jack looked up from finishing his coffee. "Please don't tell Abigail about me getting Noah's records from Central? I haven't told her and I don't think I will tell her unless there is something in there we can use," Bill explained. Jack replied, "I won't say anything, but I do believe you should tell her. You need to be honest with her. She has a right to know." Bill nodded, "That's true. But I don't want to hurt her. She's been through so much already." "She's a very strong lady, " Jack assured Bill. "She can handle it." Bill nodded, agreeing to consider telling Abigail about the records.

Meanwhile, Rosemary had finished her first song and was introducing her second song of the evening. "This is a little taste, just a tidbit if you will, of the marvelous theatrical production we will be presenting to all of you fine people of Coal Valley in two weeks. It's from the wonderful Gilbert and Sullivan Production of The HMS Pinafore." She turned back to the piano and began to play "I'm Called Little Buttercup."

Jack closed his eyes and set his jaw. He decided it was time to go. He never had enjoyed Rosemary singing Gilbert and Sullivan. He stood. "I think I'll turn in. It's been a long week. I'll see you tomorrow." Bill nodded. "See you tomorrow," he repeated.

Jack rose from the table and exited the saloon. From her perch at the piano, Rosemary watched him go through the doors and head out to the street. She continued playing as a hopeful smile filled her face. Then, she turned back to her audience, finished the song, and basked in their generous applause.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_"We may make our plans,  
>but God has the last word."<br>Proverbs 16:1_

Dottie Ramsey was belting out, "Three Little Maids From School," off-key for much of the song. It took every ounce of Rosemary's acting ability to pretend that it was a great performance. Rosemary was so tired of Dottie's singing that she was considering cutting some of the rehearsals for the production. Dottie had saved her from having to leave Coal Valley, but she was definitely getting on Rosemary's nerves now.

Though she was a marginal singer, Dottie had turned out to be an excellent casting director. She'd been able to encourage other Coal Valley citizens to participate in the show. Molly Sullivan was going to sing an Irish lullaby that she used to sing to her Rosaleen. Carla Noonan and Velma Wiggins had agreed to recite poetry, as they had been good at that back in school. Mr. Miller had agreed to play his fiddle. Many of the children were going to sing or recite poetry.

Rosemary was not really pleased with the lineup of the first ever Coal Valley Follies, but perhaps it was a start. Maybe, if this performance went well, they could get some more people, perhaps more talented people, and present an actual play or musical. She could only hope!

"...don't you think, Rosemary?" At the sound of her name, Rosemary looked up at Dottie. Dottie was looking at her, obviously expecting a reply. Rosemary smiled and said, "I am so sorry, Dottie. I was in such a reverie from your divine singing that I didn't even hear your question. Would you mind terribly repeating it?" A huge smile broke onto Dottie's face at the compliment from Rosemary. "I just wondered if you like how I went up at the end of the song." "Oh, yes, that was a perfect way to end your lovely rendition!" Rosemary cooed. Dottie nodded her head earnestly and said, "I thought so."

Rosemary looked through her notes. "I wonder," Dottie lowered her voice slightly, "I wonder if I might be so bold as to address a sensitive subject." Rosemary looked a bit surprised and asked, "Sensitive subject?" "Well," Dottie began to explain, searching carefully for the right words, "I know we don't really have any funding for nice costumes. Wouldn't it be lovely to have some appropriate costumes? I believe I could sing, "Three Little Maids" even lovelier!" Rosemary smiled, trying to hide her laugh, "And where do you think we might get funding for costumes?" A pleased smile filled Dottie's face. "That is why this is sensitive," she continued. "You may have heard that Miss Thatcher's aunt is in town. She's been quite ill but I've heard she is doing better. In fact, she was having tea and broth with Elizabeth when I had lunch with my husband at Abigail's yesterday."

Rosemary's smile faded a bit as her interest in this conversation was seriously waning. Dottie didn't notice and carried on with her idea. "My husband and I receive the major newspapers and I've read in the society pages that Mrs. Thatcher is a strong patron of the arts back in Toronto. So, perhaps we could persuade her to provide some financial backing for our production." Dottie stood up straight, folded her hands, and waited expectantly for Rosemary to praise the genius of her plan.

But Rosemary wasn't pleased or impressed, though she knew she needed to appear to be. "That sounds like a marvelous idea. Why don't you speak with her about it?" Dottie smiled. "I certainly will!" She glanced at her pin watch. "Now, I simply must go. We won't be able to rehearse tomorrow as it's my son's birthday and, as you know, we have special plans. I assume we will not rehearse the next day as it is Sunday. So, we shall rehearse again on Monday!" She headed off the stage and back towards town.

After Dottie left, the smile completely left Rosemary's face. She was left with thoughts of Elizabeth and her aunt. Elizabeth had completely ruined Rosemary's plans to get "her" Jack back. She wanted Elizabeth out of her mind and started to hum a tune, a song from one of the musicals in which she had starred, in hopes of doing just that. She stopped suddenly as an interesting thought entered her mind. It was very bold, indeed, but it just might work. Perhaps she could get Elizabeth Thatcher out of the picture, after all, and then she'd get Jack's attention once again. She smiled widely as she began developing her wonderful plan.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_"Oh the tangled web weave,_

_when first we practice to deceive."_

_~Sir Walter Scott_

The next day, Elizabeth and Olivia were strolling through Coal Valley. Elizabeth had her aunt by the arm, offering her support as she was still a bit weak after being so ill. She was proudly showing off Coal Valley.

"And that's the stables," Elizabeth pointed out,. "Mr. Trevoy manages that in addition to the saloon. The blacksmith shop is there." Olivia was paying close attention to her niece's tour narrative. "And where is the dress shop?" she asked. Elizabeth fumbled for words. "Oh... well... Mr. Yost does have dry goods at the mercantile... and of course, there's always catalogs..." Olivia's face broke into a big smile and she laughed. "I'm teasing, Beth! You said earlier that Coal Valley has EVERYTHING, right?" Elizabeth laughed. "Well, not EVERYTHING, I suppose," she conceded. "But it really is such a lovely place."

"I suspect its loveliness comes from the people here. Perhaps, especially one person in particular." Olivia glanced sideways at her niece. Elizabeth could feel the color rising in her cheeks. "So, tell me about your Jack," Olivia queried. "He's not my Jack," Elizabeth sputtered. "Of course he's not," Olivia agreed though her tone revealed that she suspected that he certainly was. "So, tell me about the young Mountie."

Elizabeth took a deep breath as she hesitated for a moment, deciding where to start. "Well, he's brave and an excellent policeman. He and another Mountie captured the Tolliver gang, who were notorious bank robbers. Other Mounties had tried for weeks to arrest them, but Jack actually did it. He came up with a brilliant plan!" Aunt Olivia nodded her head. "Oh yes, Julie told us all about that. She came back with some incredible stories!" Elizabeth shook her head. "Julie's stories can be quite incredible. She has a tendency to embellish, you know." Olivia nodded. "That is our Julie. Now, what else about your... I mean what else about Jack?"

Elizabeth could feel her cheeks getting hotter and was sure they must be quite red. "Well, he's very kind. He helps people in town all the time, especially the widows. He helps the town so much! He maintains law and order here. And he's an amazing artist. His drawings are just wonderful!" Once Elizabeth started singing Jack's praises, she just couldn't seem to stop.

"Oh, is that who drew that picture you have in your bedroom?" Olivia managed to ask when Elizabeth took a breath. "Oh, yes, he did," Elizabeth answered, certain that she couldn't possibly have ever blushed more that she was at the moment as she relished the memory of Jack giving her the drawing and telling her that she was "the only one."

They walked a few more paces in silence, Elizabeth reveling in her lovely memory and Olivia taking in the town. Suddenly, Olivia was racked with a coughing fit. Fortunately, she was having less and less of such fits, but, when they hit, they were quite tiring. They were in front of the saloon and Elizabeth guided her aunt to the bench on the saloon's porch. Olivia's coughing subsided as soon as they were seated.

"I'm so sorry, Aunt Olivia. Has the walk been too much for you?" Elizabeth anxiously asked. Olivia shook her head. "No." She patted Elizabeth's hand. "No. It's been so nice to get out into fresh air and sunshine." Elizabeth nodded. "Do you think you can make it to the store? Or would you rather wait for me here?" Olivia coughed a bit more before replying, "I think I'll rest here, if you don't mind." Elizabeth nodded. "I won't be too long," she assured her aunt before heading over to the mercantile.

Olivia sat back to watch all the comings and goings of Coal Valley. Well, such as they were. It certainly wasn't the hustle and bustle of Toronto or Calgary. But there were people going about their daily business at the mercantile, saloon, Abigail's, and other places in town that Olivia hadn't had a chance to visit, yet. After a couple minutes, Olivia realized her eyelids were rather heavy. Rather than fight sleep, she closed her eyes and drifted off to the sounds of Coal Valley.

Jack strode out of the livery heading straight for Abigail's Cafe. He'd finished his morning rounds and was looking forward to his walk this afternoon with Elizabeth. In his head, he had mapped out the route they would take. He wanted to be sure to take her to see the new school and church. Miller was making good progress on the construction and he wanted to show Elizabeth. He smiled and walked just a little bit faster.

As she was walking up the road, Rosemary spotted a woman napping on the bench in front of the saloon. She'd been looking for Elizabeth's aunt around Coal Valley since she'd hatched her plan the other day. The woman sitting on the bench was dressed very nicely, her clothing clearly made by a well-trained seamstress, not homemade. She quickly deduced that this woman was indeed Elizabeth's much talked about aunt. Then, she saw Jack walking towards her. She smiled at her good fortune! She thought it must be a sign that her plan just might work.

She studied the road, deciding what she needed to do. She was hoping she could time this just right so they were in front of the saloon, where Olivia was napping, when she executed her plan. She moved a bit to the right, closer to one of the ruts in the road left by the wagons. She looked up and noted Jack's approach. Then, all of a sudden, she pretended to trip in the rut and flung herself towards Jack.

Jack, his thoughts consumed with planning his afternoon with Elizabeth, hadn't yet noticed Rosemary walking down the road towards him. Suddenly, she was falling into him. He instinctively reached out to catch her. "Whoah!" he exhaled. As Jack steadied her, Rosemary sunk into his grasp. "Oh, Jack!" she screamed.

Rosemary's scream awoke Olivia and, as she opened her eyes, she saw a woman who was not her niece in Jack's arms. She struggled to wake up and figure out what was happening. Then, she saw the blond woman throw her arms around Jack's neck. Olivia's eyes widened. She was wide awake now.

Though he tried to disentangle himself, Rosemary's arms around his neck made it impossible for Jack to remove her from his grasp. Jack's mind reeled.

Rosemary surreptitiously glanced over to be sure that Olivia was watching them and, satisfied that she was, quickly turned back to Jack. She removed her arms from his neck, acting like it took a great effort to push him away. Jack looked at her, confused. He started to protest but she cut him off. "Really, Jack!" she cried. "In the middle of the street? What would Elizabeth think? You can't toy with my affections like this!" She turned quickly and headed down the street, holding her handkerchief over her mouth and pretending to be upset. Actually, she was smiling under that handkerchief, very pleased with herself.

Jack stood in the street watching Rosemary run away, shaking his head. He had no idea what had just happened. Exhaling sharply in frustration, he turned back around and resumed his walk to Abigail's.

"Jack?"

Elizabeth's call from the steps of the mercantile startled Jack. He turned around to face her, wondering if she had seen that exchange with Rosemary. If she had, he wasn't sure how he would explain that. "Where are you heading?" Elizabeth asked when they were facing each other on the road.

Jack realized that she hadn't seen any of what had happened with Rosemary and thought it would be best not to tell her. He had no idea how to explain Rosemary's actions, anyway. "I was heading to see you." He smiled. "Would you like to take that walk this afternoon?" He looked down in her basket and noted the containers of food in it. "What are you up to? Baking another cake?" he teased. Elizabeth gave him a pout. "I'm practicing," she replied earnestly. "This afternoon?" he asked. "No, no, I'm not practicing today," Elizabeth chuckled lightly. "I would love to take that walk. I just have to make sure Aunt Olivia gets back home. We took a walk but she wanted to rest while I went to the store." She nodded toward her aunt sitting on the bench.

Jack looked over at Olivia sitting in front of the saloon. For a moment, he wondered if she had seen what happened between him and Rosemary. He worried she might have misunderstood. Then, he realized that Olivia had no idea who Rosemary was and dismissed his worry.

He turned back to Elizabeth and asked, "Should we take a picnic on our walk?" She nodded. "That sounds very nice. I'll pack some sandwiches. And," she added very proudly, "I'll use the bread that I baked!" Jack was genuinely surprised. "Really?" "Yes, Abigail is an excellent and very patient teacher!" Elizabeth informed him proudly. "I'm impressed," Jack enthused. "Well, you might want to wait until you try it. But, it is quite good, even if I do say so myself!" she said before turning toward her aunt. "Aunt Olivia, are you ready to head back to Abigail's?"

Olivia nodded and stood. She had been watching this exchange between Elizabeth and Jack with just as much interest as she had Jack's previous exchange with that woman wearing the red pantaloons. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rising and frowned. She quickly decided that she wouldn't say anything to Elizabeth about what she had seen. However, Olivia wasn't sure at all about Constable Jack Thornton now. She resolved to watch him more closely to be sure her niece was not hurt by him and that blond woman.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_"Where there is love,_

_there is life."_

_~Mahatma Ghandi_

About an hour later, the stagecoach arrived bringing Judge Jedidiah Black back to Coal Valley. Jack and Elizabeth had just left Abigail's Cafe for their walk and picnic when the judge exited the stagecoach. The judge tipped his hat to Elizabeth and shook Jack's hand.

"Has Avery made it back?" he inquired. Jack nodded. "He's over at the café having lunch." The judge glanced briefly toward the café before asking, "And the mine company lawyer?" Jack shook his head. "Haven't seen him, yet." The judge nodded before stating, "Well, when you do, tell him and Avery that we'll start at 8 sharp on Monday morning. If they want to see me for any reason, they can find me at the saloon. I'll either be at a table or upstairs in my room. " He nodded at Elizabeth, "Ma'am." He quickly looked around town, threw his saddlebag over his shoulder, and headed for the saloon.

Elizabeth reached for Jack's arm. "He is a bit of a rough character, isn't he?" Jack smiled. "Are you hungry? Should we head to the lake now to have our picnic? Or do you want to see the schoolhouse first?" Elizabeth needed only a second to decide. "The schoolhouse! I can't wait to see how it looks! I haven't seen it in over a week now."

They headed down the road out of town. Mr. Miller had cleared the site where the previous church and schoolhouse had stood before the fire, and was building the new structure there. They walked arm in arm in a comfortable silence, with Jack carrying the picnic basket.

As they passed the mayor's house, which was where Rosemary was now staying as Dottie had talked her husband into renting out a room, Elizabeth asked, as casually as she could, "Have you seen Rosemary lately?" After a beat, she quickly added, "I haven't seen her in a while." Jack exhaled and kept walking. "She's still around town. I ran into her earlier today just before I saw you at the store," he answered. He didn't say anything about Rosemary falling into his arms and her odd behavior because, in Jack's mind, it was nothing. Rosemary had always been overly dramatic. "Oh, so she is still in town," Elizabeth replied.

Jack heard the edge of concern in her voice. He stopped, set the picnic basket down, and took her hands in his. "I know you wish she would leave like she told me she would. I want her to leave, too. I certainly don't want her to upset you." His voice lowered and softened. "You are the ONLY one, remember that." He looked into Elizabeth's eyes and smiled.

Elizabeth smiled back. Jack seized the opportunity, leaned in, and kissed her. Elizabeth kissed him back but then quickly broke the kiss, remembering that they were still in the middle of town. "Jack!" she exclaimed, looking around to see if anyone was watching them. "In the middle of town? Really?!" Jack smiled devilishly. "I'd kiss you in the middle of the saloon!" He picked up the picnic basket and looped Elizabeth's arm in his. "I bet you would!" Elizabeth laughed as they continued their walk. "But I am the schoolteacher. It wouldn't be proper for my students or their parents to see us kissing in the middle of the street in broad daylight. Besides, what would your superiors say?" Jack considered that for a moment. "Well, they are men who know a beautiful woman when they see one. They'd probably be quite jealous." He glanced playfully at Elizabeth. "Oh!" Elizabeth protested mildly as she pinched his arm.

They followed the road out of town, discussing the newly blooming flowers, what a warm day it was, and the nasty mosquitos that they had to keep swatting away. Before they knew it, they rounded a bend and there was the new building. Miller had, indeed, completed quite a bit: the whole structure was framed while much of the roof and one of the sides was completed. There was a ladder leading up to where the door would eventually be placed. Currently, both ends of the building were incomplete.

"Oh my goodness!" Elizabeth was overwhelmed. She rushed up and stood on tiptoe to look inside. Jack smiled and walked up next to her. "I thought you didn't care about the schoolhouse," he teased. Elizabeth looked at him, confused. "When did I say that?" "That night you were watching for Hayley's Comet on the jailhouse porch. Let's see... you said that it was the children that were important to you. That was when I was trying to be magnanimous and told you that I'd support you no matter what," Jack reminded her.

Elizabeth smiled, remembering that evening. "Oh, I remember," she acknowledged. "So, you won't support me regardless?" "Nope," he shook his head as Elizabeth scoffed at him. He turned away, checking out the building, continuing matter-of-factly, "Only if you stay here in Coal Valley." He glanced over at Elizabeth and his face broke into a laugh. A laugh burst through Elizabeth's smile, too. They laughed for a couple of minutes as they continued to check out the building.

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked, pointing up to the roof near where the front door would eventually be. "Why is there a hole in the roof?" Jack looked at where she was pointing. "Oh, yeah. That's where the bell will go." "Bell?" Elizabeth asked. "Oh! To call people to church or call the children to school." Then, when she realized what she'd just said. "There will really be a bell for me to call the children?" The thought excited her.

Jack slowly shook his head. "Well," he hesitated, "not right away." He saw the smile fade a bit from Elizabeth's face. "I'm sorry," he told her. "The reward money only went so far. Miller added the bell chamber with hopes that we can get the money for the bell at some point in the future, the not too distant future. Unfortunately, bells are expensive." Elizabeth chided herself for getting so excited about a bell. Jack had donated his reward money for them to have a church and schoolhouse. That was certainly exciting enough. "Well, there's something else we can look forward to," Elizabeth announced proudly.

"At least you won't have to share the building with noisy miners, drinking and fighting," Jack pronounced. "Although, I do believe Mr. Trevoy will miss you and your students very much." He looked at Elizabeth as he stifled a laugh. When she met his eye, they both laughed.

Elizabeth continued to survey the building. Jack watched her for several minutes, before asking, "Okay, shall we head on to the lake for our picnic before it gets too late?" Elizabeth was roused from her reverie and turned toward Jack. "I guess we should," she reluctantly agreed.

Jack picked up the picnic basket and offered his arm to Elizabeth. She took it and he took a step back toward the path to the lake. However, Elizabeth didn't move. Instead, she leaned in and softly kissed his cheek. Then she whispered, "Thank you!" Jack met her eyes. "No thanks necessary, ma'am," he whispered back. "This is the best use of that reward money." "For a church and school, hmmm?" she asked. "Or to keep me here?" Jack's smile faded as his expression turned very serious. "Elizabeth, I can't imagine Coal Valley without you." She smiled even wider and he dropped the picnic basket to the ground as he leaned in to kiss her. He scooped her into his arms and she stretched her arms around his shoulders as they kissed for several moments. Then, Elizabeth pulled back slightly and, as their lips parted, Jack muttered, "Elizabeth."

"Oh, my!" she exhaled as she tried to catch her breath. Jack opened his eyes and he, too, seemed a bit out of breath. Elizabeth took his arm again and leaned against his shoulder. "Perhaps we should head on to the lake," she suggested. "Uhh, yeah, of course," Jack agreed, trying to slow his breathing. He picked up the picnic basket and they walked arm in arm down the path, headed to the lake to enjoy the rest of their afternoon together.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_"The single biggest problem of communication is_

_the illusion that it has taken place."_

_~George Bernard Shaw_

The lunch crowd had cleared Abigail's Cafe and Abigail was in the kitchen cleaning up. Bill was the last remaining person in the dining room, finishing his lunch. He glanced back toward the kitchen, surprised that Abigail hadn't joined him. As he finished, he picked up his dishes and napkin and walked to the back.

"Thought I'd clear my own table for you," he announced as he walked into the kitchen, smiling at Abigail. She didn't look up from washing the dishes but replied, "Oh, thank you." Bill set his dishes down next to the sink and teased, "You're going to have dishpan hands! Would you like me to help?" Abigail replied with a flat, "No, thank you," while continuing to wash the dishes.

Bill frowned. He'd suspected it before and now he knew something wasn't right. "Abigail, please tell me what's wrong. You haven't said more that a dozen words to me since I returned and most of those were taking my lunch order."

Abigail's shoulders slumped as she frowned and closed her eyes. "What is it?" Bill asked again. Abigail opened her eyes, took a deep breath, then turned around to face Bill. He implored her with his eyes to say something. Abigail nodded slightly. "Okay," she started, a bit haltingly. She wiped her hands on her apron, stalling for a moment. Bill watched her and waited.

Finally, Abigail continued. "Do you remember when I went to your room to get the witness list for Judge Black?" Bill nodded, but still had no clue what Abigail was about to tell him. "Bill," she said in a strained voice, "I saw your wedding ring. I saw the picture of you and your wife and son." Tears filled her eyes. It was the first time she'd said it aloud.

Surprised, Bill inhaled deeply and turned away from Abigail. "I wasn't spying on you, Bill', she explained as she fought to contain her tears. "It was just sitting on your bedside table." Bill turned around quickly and looked at Abigail. "No, I know. I wasn't thinking that you were spying." He inhaled and exhaled again, trying to decide what to say. "Abigail, can we sit and talk?" He motioned to the table.

Abigail considered this for a moment before nodding as she moved to the table. Bill joined her there. He thought for several seconds before speaking. "I was married, Abigail." Abigail nodded and studied her hands.

"Years ago, when I was still a young Mountie, I was stationed up on the Peace River. Millie and Will were at the Mountie post while I was out on patrol." Bill took a breath before continuing. "Millie was never fond of our Peace River post. She preferred my previous post at Fort Resolution." Bill stopped for a moment, seeming to carefully consider his words. "Fort Resolution had more people and more modern conveniences."

Abigail glanced up from her hands and noted that Bill was looking down at the table as he spoke. He continued, speaking slowly, "We hadn't been at Peace River very long when winter set in. I had to go out on patrol and a terrible snowstorm hit. I found shelter with a trapper, but I was a full two day ride from them at the post at Peace Rover. The storm raged for two and a half days and the snow kept piling up."

Abigail noted that Bill's voice had dropped so low that he was almost whispering and his face was very tense.

"When the storm passed, I headed back to the post, but, it took me two days to get there. I was, um... it was too late," Bill said flatly. "The snowstorm had piled snow around the house and they weren't able to get out… or get wood to stay warm."

Abigail's face contorted with horror. "Oh no! Bill, I'm so sorry!" Bill shook his head. "It was well over ten years ago." "No, I understand," Abigail assured him. "I know what it means to lose your spouse and your child. It's a terrible ache." She reached across the table for Bill's hand and squeezed it. "I understand," she repeated, seeking his eyes. Bill squeezed her hand back but did not meet her gaze. He studied their clasped hands.

A few quiet minutes passed before Abigail spoke. "I know you're busy preparing for the trial to start again, but do you have time to help wash these lunch dishes?" she asked, a mild smile curling the corners of her mouth upward. Bill looked up and returned her smile. "Absolutely! At your service, ma'am!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_"Don't be deceived by appearances-_

_men and things are not what they seem._

_All who are not on the rock_

_are in the sea."_

_~William Booth_

The next day, Jack rode up to the place in the woods where church services were held. He was relieved to see that Reverend Anderson and Cat Montgomery had not yet started the service. He dismounted his horse, tied it to a tree, and removed his hat before scanning the church crowd. He smiled when he spotted Elizabeth and was then was pleased to see that Elizabeth's Aunt Olivia was seated between Elizabeth and Abigail. Bill was seated next to Abigail. Jack strode up next to Elizabeth, leaned down, and whispered, "Good morning."

Elizabeth looked up and smiled. "Good morning, Jack." She motioned for Abigail and her aunt to slide down. Abigail immediately nudged a Bill and they both moved. However, Olivia hesitated. Elizabeth was surprised her aunt hadn't moved. "Aunt Olivia, are you alright?" she asked, concerned. Olivia looked from Elizabeth to Jack and then back to Elizabeth. "I'm fine," Olivia stated plainly and finally scooted down next to Abigail.

Jack slid into the empty spot they'd made for him and perched his hat on his knee. He leaned toward Elizabeth and told her, "I'm glad to see that your aunt felt up to coming to church today." Elizabeth glanced at her aunt before turning to give Jack a warm smile. "So am I," she whispered back, just as Reverend Allen walked to the front and began the service.

After the service ended, everyone stood and Jack was surprised when many of the women rushed over to Elizabeth and were admiring her necklace and earrings. Jack hadn't noticed until that moment that Elizabeth was wearing a very beautiful, sparkly necklace and matching earrings. They were obviously very expensive. He was sure he'd never seen Elizabeth wear this jewelry before. He suddenly felt very uneasy and a frown filled his face. The feeling was a sharp reminder of his early days in Coal Valley when he first became aware of just how rich Elizabeth's family was. No one noticed Jack's frown as all eyes were on Elizabeth's new jewelry.

"Thank you, so much!" Elizabeth exclaimed to the women. "You are so sweet! Yes, my aunt brought them to me as an early birthday gift. It was so kind of her!"

Jack heard Elizabeth's explanation but it did not relieve his uneasiness. He didn't like this feeling at all and tried to drive it away.

"Jack!" He was drawn from his thoughts by Elizabeth calling his name. He looked at her, willing his frown away.

"Jack, will you join us for dinner?" she asked brightly. Jack's mouth went into a straight line as he responded, "Well, I have rounds I need to make..." Elizabeth's smile faded. "Oh! Well... ummm... I don't think we'll be eating for a couple of hours, right Abigail?"

Jack stared at Elizabeth's jewelry and the uneasy feeling became worse.

Abigail turned toward Elizabeth and Jack. "Yes, it'll be a while. Bill had to head back to work on the case but said he'd join us for dinner later. Please join us, Jack!" Elizabeth's eyes pleaded with him. Jack forced the uneasy feeling away and managed a small smile. "Alright, I'll be back in a couple hours." Elizabeth smiled widely and squeezed Jack's arm. "Good! We'll see you then!" She released Jack's arm and headed after Abigail.

Meanwhile, Aunt Olivia remained seated on the log, smiling up at Elizabeth as she fielded all the compliments. She studied Jack as Elizabeth asked him to dinner. She still wasn't quite sure about Jack's intentions toward her niece.

"Mrs. Thatcher!" Startled, Olivia turned quickly toward the loud, bright voice. "I'm so happy to meet you! I am Rosemary Leveaux!" Rosemary dramatically bowed as she reached for Olivia's hand and shook it lightly. Olivia quickly recovered and coolly eyed Rosemary, recognizing her as the blond woman in Jack's arms the day before.

Noting Olivia's coolness, Rosemary stood and rushed to fill the silence. "I heard that you've been quite ill. I am so glad to see you up and around!" "Well, thank you, Miss..."Olivia replied, fumbling with Rosemary's name. "Leveaux," Rosemary supplied happily. Olivia nodded. "Miss Leveaux." She studied Rosemary for a few moments, causing Rosemary to squirm a bit under the intense scrutiny, before continuing. "How did you know I've been ill? Are you friends with my niece?" Olivia's eyes narrowed slightly with the last question.

Rosemary's fake smile widened. She looked over at Jack, who was now walking to his horse, for several seconds before turning back to Olivia. Olivia followed her gaze and frowned. "Oh... I heard it around town," Rosemary cooed. She ignored the question about Elizabeth.

Several seconds of thick, silent tension passed between the two women before it was finally shattered by Dottie Ramsey. "Mrs. Thatcher! You look better and better every time I see you!" Dottie exclaimed. "Thank you," Olivia responded, though still staring at Rosemary. She finally turned to Dottie. "It's every nice to be able to attend this lovely church service. And, Dottie, what a darling hat!" Dottie beamed as she petted her bright yellow hat. "Why, thank you! It's the latest fashion from Calgary!" She then turned her attention to Rosemary. "Rosemary, will you be dining with the mayor and I today? I have some ideas to discuss with you about the costumes." She nodded her head and smiled at Olivia. "It was so kind of you to help our production, Mrs. Thatcher! I cannot tell you how grateful we are to be able to have such nice costumes now!" Olivia nodded. "You are very welcome. I'm glad I was able to help," she said cordially.

Dottie turned to Rosemary. "Will you be joining us? We need to make plans for those costumes!" Rosemary quickly expelled a frustrated sigh before the fake smile returned to her face. "I would love to dine with you and the mayor," she answered a little too enthusiastically. "But there is something I need to do first. I'll meet you later?" Dottie smiled and nodded. "Of course." She then turned back to Olivia. "I hope you have a very blessed Sunday and continue to feel better." "Thank you," Olivia acknowledged as Dottie walked away.

Rosemary bowed slightly to Olivia as she told her, "It was very nice to meet you!" She then walked away quickly.

Olivia watched Rosemary as she made her exit. She briefly glanced back at Elizabeth and Abigail and saw that they were now admiring Carla Noonan's twins. When she turned back to watch Rosemary, she was unpleasantly surprised to see her talking with Jack, who was standing next to his horse. She very much wanted to hear their conversation, but they were just out of earshot. So, she watched them closely.

"No, Rosemary. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make my rounds," Jack told Rosemary as he turned to get on his horse.

"Ohhhh, please, Jack! We'll take extra special care of it, I promise!" Rosemary cajoled. She reached for him and ran her hand from Jack's shoulder down his arm, before he pulled his arm away. He shook his head firmly. "Rosemary, no. It is against regulations."

"Regulations, smegulations!" Rosemary exclaimed as she gave him a pleading look. She cautiously looked back and noted that Olivia was watching them. Her eyes flashed as this is exactly what she wanted.

"No," Jack answered emphatically. Rosemary scoffed. "But it would really help us with the Follies. Gabriel wants to recite the Charge of the Light Brigade and I thought it would be ever so dramatic if he was dressed as a handsome, young Mountie. Naturally, I thought of you."

"The Charge of the Light Brigade was about the British army, not Canadian Mounties," Jack corrected. "But yours is the only uniform around here," she smiled wider. "Please?"

He shook his head again. "No, Rosemary, but you'll have to come up with a different costume. As I said, only a Mountie can wear the jacket and hat. Excuse me, I really have to go."

He turned and mounted his horse. Rosemary reached up, her hands on his knee. "I'm sorry, Jack. Of course you are right!" She smiled up at him. He was quite uncomfortable with this so he quickly spurred the horse on. "Be careful and I'll see you later," she called after him, loud enough for Olivia to hear.

Olivia frowned, clearly not liking the exchange she'd just witnessed.

"Aunt Olivia?" Elizabeth called her name. "Uh.. yes dear?" she called back. "Are you ready to go?" her niece queried.

Olivia glanced back and saw Rosemary walking away.

"Aunt Olivia, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, concerned. She held her hand out to her aunt. Olivia nodded and answered, "Yes, I'm fine, dear." She accepted Elizabeth's hand and moved to stand up.

As Elizabeth helped her aunt get up, she told Olivia, "Let's head back to the Cafe. We need to get dinner going. Jack and Bill are going to join us later!" Elizabeth smiled at her aunt.

Olivia was very concerned but tried not to show it. She couldn't bear for her niece to be hurt. She took Elizabeth's offered arm as they walked back to town.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_"Thou and I are too wise to woo peacably."_

_~William Shakespeare,_ Much Ado About Nothing

Later that day, at Abigail's cafe, everyone was seated around the large table in the kitchen. The light from outside was getting soft as it was nearing sunset. The remains of Sunday dinner lay in front of them as they shared post-dinner conversation.

"Has Gowen every attended Sunday services?" Bill asked. "He attended off and on before the church burned down," Abigail answered. "Noah used to say that Gowen felt obligated to go at least a couple of times a year since it was owned by the mine. I don't know if he attended any of the reverend's services at the saloon but he certainly hasn't been to any services in the woods."

"Why does he have to be such a disagreeable man?" Elizabeth asked. "It wouldn't cost him anything to be nice every once in awhile." Bill shook his head. "I think it would go against his very nature."

"Well, I like to think that everyone has a potential for good," Abigail reminded Bill. "After all, Cat's message this morning about Psalm 31 told us that we must have hope. 'Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.' We can always hope that Gowen will behave kindly, even if he does try my patience much of the time!"

Everyone around the table chuckled and smiled.

"This is so nice!" Olivia exclaimed. "Elizabeth, this reminds me of Sunday dinners back home with your parents. Don't you think?" Elizabeth gave her aunt a questioning look. "Don't you have Sunday dinner with Uncle Charles?" A cloud passed over Olivia's face as Elizabeth asked the question. "Oh, well, yes, I guess most of the time. But since the children have all left the house, your mother has been so kind to invite me, US... she invites us for dinner on Sundays. It's so nice to visit and talk about everyone's activities of the week!" Olivia nodded then looked away. Elizabeth fingered her new necklace as she watched her aunt speak, feeling that something just wasn't right with what she was saying.

Jack had been watching Elizabeth throughout dinner. He noticed as soon as he walked into the cafe that she was still wearing the expensive necklace and earrings and that she had played with the necklace several times during dinner. He could tell that she really liked them. He felt the uneasiness rise in his stomach again and his mouth curled downward into a frown.

"Well. This has been such a wonderful time with all you good people, but I need to go finish preparations for the trial in the morning," Bill announced. "Yes, of course," Abigail agreed and then asked, "What time is the trial starting? Eight?" Bill nodded.

"I wish we could've had Judge Black join us," Abigail continued. "I hate to think of him eating chili and cornbread alone at the saloon." Bill shook his head. "The judge can't eat dinner or socialize in any way with the people involved in a trial. And believe me, I'm certain Judge Black is just where he wants to be at the saloon. Right, Jack?"

Jack, who had been consumed with his own thoughts and not paying attention to the conversation until Bill called his name, replied quickly, "Yes, uhh... of course!"

Elizabeth had noticed Jack's distance during the meal. "Is there something on your mind?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Just thinking about what has to be done this week. Wondering how I can get all my regular duties done with the trial going on," he explained rather convincingly. However, Elizabeth didn't believe that was all it was, but she decided not to press the issue right now.

"Thank you, ladies...and Jack," Bill quickly corrected, "for the delicious meal and conversation." He stood and moved to leave. "Oh, and Jack?" Jack, who had just stood up to go clean his plate, stopped and looked at the detective. "Stop by later and we'll discuss plans for tomorrow." "I will," Jack agreed.

Bill moved toward Abigail. "Thank you, again. This was very nice! Have a good night and I will see you in the morning." Abigail smiled. "Good night! And don't stay up all night! Get some sleep before the trial." Bill grinned widely. "Yes ma'am!" Then he headed out of the cafe.

"Here, Abigail, let me help you," Olivia offered. "Oh, don't overdo it, Aunt Olivia," Elizabeth protested. "I am fine," Olivia countered. "I can certainly help Abigail clear the table." Elizabeth walked over to her aunt and placed her hand on her aunt's shoulder. "Okay, I just don't want you to have a relapse," she explained. Olivia repeated, "I am fine," and continued clearing the table.

Jack brought his plate to the sink and started to clear more from the table. "No, no, no," Abigail scolded mildly as she took the items from Jack. "You two go out and enjoy this fine evening. Olivia and I will take care of this." Olivia frowned, clearly not happy that Abigail was sending Elizabeth out alone with Jack.

Jack wasn't exactly smiling himself as he still was wrestling with that uneasy feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure if he was quite up to playful conversation with Elizabeth at this point.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked. "Shoo!" Abigail teased.

Elizabeth turned to Jack and smiled. "Shall we take a walk, Constable?" Jack forced his lips onto a half-hearted smile and nodded. Elizabeth grabbed her light shawl and headed for the door. Jack inhaled deeply, opened the door, and fell in step behind her.

Olivia watched them leave, still frowning. Abigail turned to grab some more dishes and caught sight of Olivia frowning. "Olivia, is something wrong?" Olivia turned to Abigail and considered whether to speak her concerns to Abigail. She decided she could trust Abigail to be discreet. "How well do you know Jack Thornton?"

Abigail was a bit surprised by the question. "Oh, well..." she began, "I think we've gotten to know Jack very well over the last several months. Why do you ask?" "Frankly, I'm concerned about his intentions," Olivia replied, rather bluntly. Abigail was flabbergasted, "With Elizabeth? Why?!" Olivia explained, "I have some questions about his loyalty to her."

Abigail's jaw dropped as she struggled to process the statement. Then, she began speaking in Jack's defense. "Jack is a very honorable man. I have no doubts about his affection for and loyalty to Elizabeth," Abigail assured Olivia.

"What about this Rosemary Leveaux?" Olivia asked. "Oh," Abigail replied, now beginning to understand Olivia's worries. "Did someone tell you about that?" Olivia's face screwed into a full scowl. "About what?! I've seen some exchanges between the two of them that I find troubling. What else is going on?" she demanded.

Abigail sighed and motioned to a chair. "Olivia, let's sit down. I think we need to have a long talk about Rosemary Leveaux."

Elizabeth looked up at the sky and smiled. "Okay, impress me again with your knowledge of the constellations. What are we looking at tonight?" Jack looked up and cleared his throat. "Okay, let's see," he said rather flatly, "ummm...there's the Big Dipper..."

Elizabeth looked at Jack rather than the sky, a quizzical look on her face.

"... and that's the teapot down there." Jack continued.

Elizabeth frowned. "Jack, what's wrong?" Jack looked down and shook his head slowly. "Nothing's wrong."

"Jack, look at me," she ordered in a low voice as she moved closer to him. "What's been bothering you all day?" Jack looked up and met her eyes. She, then, saw that something definitely was wrong. "What is it?" she asked emphatically.

Jack took a deep breath and shook his head. He looked away from Elizabeth. "It's ridiculous, I know, but..." Elizabeth prodded him to continue, "But, what?"

"It's that necklace and the earrings," he blurted out stiffly. Elizabeth's hand reached up to the necklace. "What about them?" "They are..." he trailed off, not finishing his thought. "They're what?" She was becoming frustrated.

Jack stood up straight and looked directly at Elizabeth. "They must have cost quite a bit of money."

Elizabeth agreed, "Yes, well, my aunt wanted to give me something special for my birthday." She still didn't quite understand what was bothering him. "I'm sure she did," Jack agreed, his voice still stiff. Elizabeth had no idea why he was so upset about the jewelry. "Is that a problem?"

"It's just that," Jack hesitated as he attempted to explain, "well, it reminded me that you come from a very wealthy family and are used to the finest things. I sometimes forget that here in Coal Valley. You seem just like everyone else..."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed with anger. "I am like everyone else," she protested. "Well, not really," Jack countered. "Not everyone has the fancy clothes you have. And not everyone has a wealthy and powerful father who sends a Mountie to protect his daughter."

"Are we back to that, again?!" she asked, her voice rising. "I thought we were way past that now!" Jack shook his head. He really hadn't meant to bring that up again. "We were. We are. It's just... Well, I'm sure your family would want you to find someone who can support you in the manner in which you've been accustomed. Someone who has money to provide you the finer things like that jewelry."

Elizabeth's face was turning red as her anger flared even more. "Jack Thornton, what are you saying? Are you suggesting that I'm so shallow that I would only consider courting someone who's wealthy? Or that my family is that shallow? Are you saying that I am so materialistic?"

Jack realized he had stumbled into very dangerous territory but had no clue how to get out. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't get a word in.

"Really, Jack! If you really think that of me, then perhaps you aren't the man I believed you to be!" Elizabeth's anger seemed to be growing by the second.

Jack just shook his head, so shocked at the turn the discussion had taken that he couldn't think of what to say. He mumbled, "Elizabeth," trying to soothe her anger, but she didn't hear him.

"Well, then, good night!" She exclaimed through clenched teeth.

Realizing that she was heading home, Jack moved to walk with her back to the cafe. Elizabeth swung around to face him and he had to stop so abruptly to avoid colliding with her that he almost fell. "Don't trouble yourself! I can find my own way back!" She turned on heel and walked quickly back toward the cafe.

Jack watched her leave, incredulous at the turn of events.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_"Faith is the strength by which _

_a shattered world shall emerge into light." _

_~Helen Keller_

Elizabeth entered the cafe and started to slam the door, but checked herself. She decided quickly that she did not want to talk about this with Abigail or Olivia tonight. The two ladies were seated at the table talking and looked up when Elizabeth entered.

"Elizabeth!" Abigail exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting you back for awhile. Everything okay?" Elizabeth smiled as she worked to conceal her anger and hurt from Abigail and her aunt. "Yes, of course." She looked down and hesitated, trying to think of an excuse for her early return. "Well, Jack needed to see Bill before the trial tomorrow." She looked at them to see if they were accepting her explanation and was pleased that it seemed they were. "I'm tired. Think I'll turn in. Good night, Aunt Olivia... Abigail." She headed up the stairs towards her bedroom as the tears started to fill her eyes.

Olivia watched her niece ascend the stairs then turned to Abigail. "Do you think she's okay?" Abigail smiled. "She's fine. She's just anxious, as all of us are about this trial." Abigail assured Olivia, though she, too, suspected something was not quite right but thought it best not to share that with Olivia right now. She'd just managed to calm the woman's concerns that Jack was being untrue to Elizabeth and consorting with Rosemary. Best not to undermine that now.

Olivia nodded. "I'm sure it's been trying for all of you. I cannot even imagine!" Abigail nodded. "But the trial has begun and, pray God, we will get a fair one. Hopefully, Mr. Gowen will be exposed for the negligent mine manager and criminal that he is."

Olivia nodded in agreement. "Now, tell me more about this Rosemary. Do you think she'll try to cause problems for Jack and Elizabeth?" Abigail sighed. "I know she really likes being the center of attention and is not happy about Jack paying attention to Elizabeth. She is certainly a stubborn woman!"

Olivia pursed her lips, clearly not liking what she was hearing. "But," Abigail rushed on to reassure Olivia, "as I said, Jack is a very honorable man. He has made it clear that he cares deeply for Elizabeth. I don't believe he would ever hurt her."

Olivia nodded.

Abigail stood and walked over to the sink to continue washing the dishes. Olivia remained seated at the table and seemed to be staring out into space. Abigail glanced back and saw the woman's intense concentration. "No need to worry, Olivia," she assured her again.

Olivia looked up at Abigail. Abigail stopped cleaning the dishes and turned toward Olivia. "I have watched Jack and Elizabeth's relationship grow since he arrived in Coal Valley," Abigail explained. "They have been through many trying times, but they always remain true to each other. Their relationship has grown slowly, sometimes too slowly for me, but that's another story." Abigail laughed to herself for a moment. "But," she continued earnestly, "I believe their relationship will stand the test of time. Don't worry about Jack's intentions, at all. He's a Mountie, after all!" She smiled.

Olivia smiled back and then rose to help with the dishes. "When did Rosemary arrive here in Coal Valley?" she asked. "I guess it's been about a month ago now," Abigail answered. "Maybe a little longer. Why?"

"I just wonder why she would leave New York to move to Coal Valley. I mean, from what you've told me, she reported to everyone that she was quite successful in New York. Why would she leave if she was so successful?" Olivia paused and shook her head. "I can't help but think that there is more to Rosemary Leveaux's story than a change of heart."

Very early the next morning, Olivia entered the Mercantile. She was surprised to find Rosemary at the counter, paying for an order.

Rosemary turned and smiled when she saw Olivia. "Oh, good morning, Mrs. Thatcher! How are you today?" she asked brightly. "I am well, thank you," Olivia answered politely. "You're shopping very early," she observed.

"Yes, I had some more paint and materials to get to prepare for the Follies," Rosemary answered. "All of this goes on Mayor Ramsey's account, then?" Yost asked. Rosemary turned back to Yost. "Yes, please." Then she explained to Olivia, "The Mayor and Mrs. Ramsey have been such wonderful patrons of this production!"

Olivia just nodded and smiled. She turned to check out the shelves of canned goods.

Rosemary noted Olivia's coolness toward her again. Rosemary took that as confirmation that her plan to make Olivia believe that she and Jack were carrying on a dalliance behind Elizabeth's back was working. Pleased, she hoped that Olivia would soon tell Elizaneth and perhaps coerce her to leave Coal Valley. At the very least, Olivia would likely share her concerns with Elizabeth's parents and then they might demand Elizabeth stop consorting with Jack. She was convinced that Elizabeth would cave to the demands of her family. Smiling, she took her package and called to Olivia, "Have a wonderful day!"

Olivia nodded and watched her leave before approaching the counter. "How may I help you, Mrs, Thatcher?" Ned Yost asked. Olivia smiled and pulled a slip of paper out of her purse. "I have a telegram I'd like for you to send for me, please." She handed the paper to Yost. He opened it and read over it. He looked up at Olivia, surprised at what he'd just read.

"I trust that, as a professional telegraph man, you will be discreet, Mr. Yost," Olivia strongly suggested to Yost. "Oh, yes, ma'am," he confirmed. "Of course!" "Thank you," Olivia replied. "Now, how soon will that telegram be sent?" "I'll send it right away, Mrs, Thatcher," he promised as he headed to the back room. "And please be sure to let me know the moment a telegram arrives for me, please," Olivia instructed. "Any telegram." "Yes, ma'am. Of course," he assured as he continued to the back.

Olivia walked over to the shelf and looked over the dry goods on the shelf. "Poor Elizabeth," she whispered to herself. "If this is all the material she has for dresses..." She uttered a disappointed "Tsk" before heading for the door. She reached for the doorknob but stopped when she saw Rosemary waiting at the bottom of the Mercantile steps. She wondered what the actress was doing, just standing there. Then, she saw her glance back at the door. Olivia quickly turned around, acting as though she were talking to Mr. Yost. After a minute, when she turned back to the door, she saw that Rosemary was no longer standing where she had been. She looked around and spotted her running across the street, chasing Jack who was walking toward the saloon. Olivia opened the door, stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her, continuing to watch Jack and Rosemary.

"Jack!" Rosemary cooed. "Where are you heading?" she asked as she wrapped her arm around his. Jack was startled at first. Then, he tried to wrestle out of her grasp, but Rosemary wouldn't let go. "Rosemary, what do you want?" he asked angrily.

"I just want to ask you about the trial. How long do you think it will go on?" Rosemary asked as she surreptitiously glanced toward the store and was pleased to see Olivia watching them. Jack answered, "I really don't know. It will take as long as Judge Black says it will take." He again tried to wrangle his arm from hers, but Rosemary wouldn't release him.

"I'm just wondering if it's going to run into the weekend. You know we have the Coal Valley Follies scheduled for Saturday evening," she told him grasping his hand with both of hers when he finally freed his arm from hers. "I hope the trial won't continue on Saturday and mess with our performance."

Jack frowned as tried to remove his hands from hers. "Rosemary, you told me that you were leaving but you stayed. You're acting very friendly though I told you that it's Elizabeth that I am courting. What are up to?" He finally pulled his hand from hers and looked at her sternly.

Rosemary inhaled deeply and slowly, hesitating for several moments. Suddenly, she cried out, "Jack, you can't keep toying with my affections. You are going to have to decide if you want me or you want Elizabeth. I can't abide this behavior!" She shoved Jack, who was wide-eyed with astonishment, and ran off down the street.

Jack watched Rosemary run away and then, as he was turning back toward the saloon, he spotted Olivia on the porch of the store. His heart sank. He was sure that she must've seen everything that just happened. After the argument with Elizabeth last night, this was the last thing that he needed. He considered speaking with Olivia right then, but decided against it. He hadn't really spoken with her since she'd arrived. The few times they had spoken, Elizabeth had been with them. So, he decided against talking with Olivia right then. He had no idea what he'd say to her, anyway. He tipped his hat at Olivia and headed on to the saloon to meet Bill, a worried frown on his face.

Olivia watched Jack enter the saloon before hurrying back to the cafe. She quickly found Abigail in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. At that moment, there were only two tables of customers in the cafe.

"Abigail," Olivia said in a hushed tone, glancing up the stairs. "Where's Elizabeth?" Abigail was slightly stunned by Olivia's rush into the kitchen and her whispering. "Ummm... She stepped outside for a moment." Olivia gave her a questioning look. "She went to the outhouse," Abigail whispered.

Olivia nodded. "Then let me speak quickly. I believe there is a rat in our midst," she said in a low voice. "A rat?" Abigail asked loudly and the cafe customers looked towards her in the kitchen. Abigail noted the stares, smiled sweetly at them, and moved away from the opening, blocking the customers' view of their conversation. "What are you talking about, Olivia?" she asked once she was out of the view of her customers.

"I believe a certain young actress is making a play for the town constable," Olivia explained. Abigail's eyes widened. "What happened?" Olivia pursed her lips, anger entering her voice. "It appears that she has been putting on a performance just for me." "What on earth...?" Abigail asked, her curiosity piqued.

At that moment, the back door opened and Elizabeth entered.

"We'll talk more later," Olivia whispered to Abigail before calling to Elizabeth, "Good morning, Elizabeth! How are you this morning?" Elizabeth gave her aunt a fleeting smile. "I'm fine. How are you? You were up and about very early." Olivia smiled widely. "Oh, I just wanted to take a walk in the fresh air. It really does make me feel so much better," Olivia gushed. She glanced toward Abigail, who still looked a bit stunned.

Elizabeth walked over to the coffee urns. "Do you want some coffee, Aunt Olivia?" she asked. "I'd love some, dear!" Olivia answered, smiling. Abigail caught Olivia's gaze and flashed her a questioning look. Olivia motioned with her hand for Abigail to wait as she mouthed the word later.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_"All truths are easy to understand_

_once they are discovered;_

_the point is to discover them."_

_~Galileo Galilei_

Later that morning, the saloon was standing room only as the trial resumed. Bill was seated at a small table facing Judge Black. Elizabeth, Olivia, and Abigail were seated at the table behind him. Cat Montgomery and Florence Blakeley were sitting with them. Gowen and the company attorney were seated at a small table to Bill's right. Some of the older children stood at the windows, trying to see what was happening in the saloon, because they weren't allowed inside. The room was quiet as everyone waited for the judge to speak.

Judge Black looked at the company lawyer. "Gentry, any questions for Mr. Ansvil here?" Gentry looked up from his notes. "No, your honor, that is all," he answered. Judge Black wasted no time dismissing the mine foreman. "You're excused, Mr. Ansvil. Who's your next witness, Avery?"

Bill glanced down at the papers on his desk for several moments. Judge Black was in no mood for waiting. "Avery?!" Bill looked up and coolly met the judge's stare. "Your next witness?" Judge Black reiterated.

Bill nodded and glanced sideways at Jack, who was standing to Judge Black's right, acting as bailiff. Jack's eyes narrowed, unsure of what Bill was doing. Bill smiled and finally responded to the judge's question, "Pinkerton Richardson."

Gowen's head snapped to the left, glaring at Bill. He leaned to Gentry and whispered something. Gentry listened, then looked up and said, "Your honor, Pinkerton Richardson was not on the witness list Mr. Avery provided last week."

"No," Judge Black agreed. "But he is on the updated list he provided yesterday." The judge picked up the list and waved it once at Gentry.

Gentry began to look through the papers in front of him as Gowen continued to complain in his ear. Gentry found what he was looking for and turned to Gowen. They exchanged a few more words before Gowen sat back, clearly displeased.

Pinkerton Richardson made his way to the front and was now standing where Ansvil had stood moments ago. Jack approached him carrying a Bible. "Please place your right hand on the Bible," Jack requested as he held the Bible in front of the Pinkerton. "Do you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" Jack asked. Pinkerton Richardson placed his hand on the Bible and answered, "I do." Jack strode back to the other side of the room, replacing the Bible on the judge's desk as he passed it, and returned to where he had been standing before.

Bill stood and walked around to the front of his table. "Pinkerton Richardson, how long have you worked for the Pacific Northwest Mining Company?" "I guess it's been a little over three years now," Richardson replied.

Bill asked, "And what exactly do you do for the mining company?" Richardson answered quickly, "I provide security for the mine." "What does that entail?" Bill asked as he began sorting through some papers on his table.

"Avery," Judge Black interrupted. "I believe we are all well aware of what Pinkertons do. Please get to the point." Avery glared at the judge but replied in an even tone, "Yes, your honor." He continued, turning back to Richardson, "What were your duties the day of the mine explosion?"

"I was at the mine, as I am almost every day," Richardson answered. "And where was Mr. Gowen?" Bill continued his questioning. "He was at the office in town," the Pinkerton replied. Bill nodded. "And how soon did he get out to the mine?"

Richardson hesitated for a moment before answering. "We were handling the situation. We moved the miners away from the mineshaft and began to coordinate a rescue. "

"That's good," Bill interjected, "but that's not what I asked. How soon did Gowen arrive at the mine after the explosion?"

Richardson glanced over at Gowen. "Pinkerton Richardson?" Bill called. Richardson looked at Bill and finally answered, "It was a little while. Pinkerton Spurlock went to get him."

"You mean he didn't know about the explosion? From previous testimony, we've heard that everyone else in town heard the explosion and ran toward the mine. Are you saying that he didn't know until Pinkerton Spurlock went into the office to tell him?" Bill asked incredulously.

Richardson shuffled his feet and looked down before answering, "I don't know when he knew about the explosion. Spurlock was the one who talked with him."

"Which brings me back to my original question: how long after the explosion did Gowen arrive at the mine?" Bill asked. Richardson frowned and stared at Bill. Finally, he answered, "About half an hour."

"Half an hour?!" Bill exclaimed. "Didn't you find his delay surprising?" "No," Richardson answered plainly.

Bill narrowed his eyes as he stared at the Pinkerton. After a few moments, he turned back to his desk to look over some papers, his back to the Pinkerton and the judge. "Did you ever help Mr. Gowen destroy company papers?" he called over his shoulder, as though it was almost as an afterthought.

The courtroom gasped and some whispers rustled around the saloon. Judge Black gave everyone an icy stare and a hush fell over the room. The edges of Jack's mouth curled up in a pleased smile.

Richardson stared at Avery and then looked over at Jack, clearly furious. Bill turned around and looked at Richardson. "Well, did you?" Richardson continued to stare at Jack. Jack answered his stare squarely, forcing Richardson to look away. He looked at Gowen, who was seething with anger and his stare seemed to tell the Pinkerton that his job depended on his answer to this question.

"Pinkerton?" Judge Black bellowed. Richardson's head swiveled to face to the judge. "Answer the question," the judge ordered.

Richardson inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Sometimes Mr. Gowen would destroy old company records." He emphasized the word old. "Did you assist him?" Bill asked. Richardson again fell silent and looked down at his boots.

Bill decided it was time to reveal his hand and press for an answer. "See, Constable Thornton reported that you and Mr. Gowen were burning papers one evening when he stopped by the office. I'm very curious to know what those papers were?" Richardson glared at Bill. "I don't recall that."

"Really? You don't remember burning records that particular evening?" Bill queried. "No, sir, I don't," Richardson stated. "So, the burning of records was so commonplace that you don't recall that particular evening?" Jack asked wryly.

"Your honor!" the company lawyer interrupted. Judge Black looked at the lawyer. "Yes, Mr. Gentry?" Gentry stood and complained, "Mr. Avery keeps repeating the same question. I believe Pinkerton Richardson has answered it already." "No he hasn't," Judge Black countered. "Sit down, counselor. Answer the question," he demanded of Richardson.

Richardson looked at the judge, surprised. "Well... we did destroy some records from time to time, but they were usually very old records. I don't recall that particular evening."

"That's a bit surprising since that evening was quite eventful in Coal Valley. After all, the school teacher and her sister were kidnapped by bank robbers." Bill looked pointedly at Richardson, who looked back at him, unwavering.

"What papers were you and Mr. Gowen burning that evening?" Bill asked again. Richardson didn't waver. "I don't recall."

Bill took a deep breath and set his notes back down on the table before continuing. "I believe we're all acquainted with the, shall we say, checkered history of the Pinkertons. It's clear that Pinkerton detectives and guards will do just about anything their bosses ask of them. Now, Richardson, were the papers you burned safety records from the mine showing the company's negligence?" Bill asked, clearly frustrated.

"Objection!" Gentry yelled as he leapt to his feet. Judge Black nodded and motioned for Gentry to sit down. "Yes, I know. Avery, that crossed the line and you've beaten this dead horse enough. I think we all have a fair idea of Pinkerton Richardson's job duties now."

Gentry looked up at the judge, clearly angry with that last comment.

"Now, any other questions for this man? Or can we get things wrapped up so we can break for lunch?" Judge Black asked Bill. "No, your honor," Bill smiled and sat down. "Gentry, any questions?" Judge Black queried. Gentry mulled his answer for a moment then replied, "No, sir."

"Good," Judge Black pronounced. "We'll take a one hour break for lunch." He rapped his gavel once, and then stood up. He looked over at Tom Trevoy, the saloon manager, and asked, "Got any of your chili, Tom?" Trevoy smiled and nodded as he headed to the bar. The judge followed him.

The townspeople were filing out of the saloon, heading to their homes for lunch. Abigail told everyone seated at her table, "Though the cafe is closed for the trial, I do have some sandwich fixings. Would you care to join me for lunch?" "Thank you Abigail, that would be very nice," Cat agreed. Florence shook her head. "Thank you, but I think I'll go home for a little while. I need to check on my boy."

As the ladies started for the door, Elizabeth hung back and glanced over at Jack, who was now at the bar next to Judge Black being served a bowl of chili. Abigail turned back and followed Elizabeth's gaze. "Elizabeth, ask Jack if he'd like to join us? I told Bill before the trial began this morning." "I think Jack wants to eat chili with the judge," Elizabeth stated. She turned quickly and headed out of the saloon.

Abigail looked at Jack and saw that he was indeed having lunch with Judge Black. She then turned back to see Elizabeth, who was now walking briskly past the windows of the saloon. When she glanced back to Jack, she saw that he, too, was watching Elizabeth storm past the saloon windows. He dropped his spoon into his chili and lowered his head. Abigail sighed and whispered to herself, "Not again!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

_"It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, _

_it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."_

_1 Corinthians 13: 15 _

The trial continued that afternoon with the other Pinkerton agent testifying, though he offered even less information than Richardson had. Bill called two miners who had escaped the mine as it exploded. One reported that Noah Stanton had held a safety review meeting two days before the explosion. The other reported to Gowen that he had been present when Noah Stanton reported that a canary had died in the mine shaft a week before. Gowen had asked if any other canaries had a problem. When told they had not, Gowen insisted the shaft was safe and they would keep working it.

After Judge Black adjourned for the day, Gowen immediately turned to the company lawyer and growled in a low voice, "My office! NOW!" Bill overheard the exchange and smiled as he gathered his papers. Abigail came up beside him. "That went well for us, didn't it?"

Bill glanced up and saw that Judge Black had already ascended the stairs, out of earshot. "Yes," he said around a smile. "Yes, today went well." Abigail smiled widely.

Bill felt the need to temper her happiness some. "But, keep in mind, Abigail, this is just one day. We've got to go the distance." Abigail nodded her head. "Of course, of course," she agreed. "But we can certainly be happy about today," Bill offered, smiling again.

Elizabeth was speaking with Cat when Jack walked up to them. Cat noted Jack's arrival and decided to take her leave. "I better get home and check on the children," she told Elizabeth. "I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled at Jack. "Constable," she greeted him before heading out of the saloon. Jack nodded at Cat and then turned back to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth didn't turn to Jack. Instead, she fussed with her shawl. "Elizabeth," Jack said in a soft voice. "Yes," Elizabeth answered, matching his hushed voice but her tone was a bit terse. She didn't look at him.

"Could we talk, please?" he asked. "In private," he added, glancing around the room.

Elizabeth exhaled slowly and didn't answer immediately. Jack waited patiently for several moments. Eventually, Elizabeth responded, "Fine."

Jack instinctively reached for her elbow to guide her out of the saloon, but Elizabeth quickened her stride. He exhaled sharply and shook his head as he followed her. He caught up with her several feet outside the saloon.

"Why don't we go sit on the porch of the jailhouse? I'll make us some tea," Jack offered.

Elizabeth considered the offer for several steps before answering, "Alright."

They walked to the porch, Jack trying to keep up with Elizabeth's quick pace, and Elizabeth stood rigidly, still not looking at Jack. "Why don't you have a seat?" he offered gently. "And I'll get the tea going."

Elizabeth sat down as Jack opened the jailhouse door. As soon as the door opened, Rip rushed out and headed to where Elizabeth was sitting. He sat down next to her feet, his tail wagging. Elizabeth reached down and petted Rip's head. Jack smiled and headed into the jailhouse.

Abigail and Bill exited the saloon and she spotted Elizabeth sitting on Jack's front porch, petting Rip. "Oh, thank goodness," she declared. Bill looked at her. "What?" She glanced at Bill and explained, "Oh, it's just that I was worried Elizabeth and Jack had hit yet another bump in the road. But it seems they are working it out." She looked back at Elizabeth and smiled.

"What is going on with them?" Bill asked. Abigail smiled. "Those two do make things very difficult!" she exclaimed. "I could see from the start that they had feelings for each other. But both of them are so stubborn!"

Bill laughed. "I can certainly see that," he agreed. He looked over at Elizabeth sitting in the chair on Jack's porch. "The schoolteacher and the Mountie, hmmm?" He laughed again and turned to Abigail. "How I about I make you dinner?"

"Dinner? But didn't you say you don't really cook?" Abigail asked, a little flabbergasted. "I make some mean scrambled eggs and toast. How does that sound?" he offered. "Lovely," she answered and slipped her arm in his as they headed for the café.

Jack came out of the jail carrying two cups of tea. He was concentrating very hard so as not to spill any. He handed Elizabeth her cup and set his on the table between their chairs. "I'll be right back with milk and sugar."

Elizabeth studied her tea. Jack had never made her tea before and she was a bit surprised. It was even in a proper tea cup.

Jack came back out carrying a small pitcher of milk, a sugar bowl, and two spoons. Elizabeth realized they were part of a set. "You have a tea set?" she asked, surprised. He nodded. "My mother gave me one of her sets when I graduated from the academy. She always insisted that we had a proper cup of tea, as she called it, every afternoon." Jack sat and began to prepare his tea with one spoon of sugar and a little milk. "I think of her when ever I use this set."

Elizabeth studied him. "You must miss her. How long since you last saw her?"

Jack sighed before he answered, "Since I graduated from the academy. I didn't have time to go home before I was reassigned here."

Jack's eyes met Elizabeth's prompting a smile to curl up on his face. Elizabeth quickly turned away to prepare her tea. Jack's smile faded as he realized that pleasant exchange wasn't the end of their disagreement. He sipped his tea and set it down before speaking again.

"Elizabeth, I am sorry about last night," he began. "I... it's just..." he looked out toward the street as he fumbled for words. Elizabeth looked up and studied him. He took a deep breath and plunged ahead. "Elizabeth, I have to admit that it worries me that your family is so wealthy and you are used to having fancy, expensive things."

He met her eyes and saw that she was about to protest, as she had last night. He rushed on. "It's not because I think you're materialistic or that you want someone who can give you those things." He hesitated again, choosing his words carefully. "It's because I won't be able to give you those things."

Her face softened a bit as she began to understand. "Jack, I told you, I don't care about the money." Jack nodded. "I know, I know." He placed his hand on hers and looked down at their hands. "But I want you to have those things. You should have those things, but I could never afford anything like that on my salary," he admitted. He'd almost whispered it, his voice was so low.

Elizabeth's mouth opened, in a silent gasp, as she finally understood and she placed her other hand on top of Jack's. She realized just how hard those words were for him to say. Then, she reached up and cupped his cheek. "Jack," she whispered. He looked up and met her eyes.

"Yes, my family has money and, yes, they give me very nice things," she began. Jack looked down. "But, Jack, you give me something money can't buy," she told him, smiling. "You."

Jack looked up and met her gaze. "You've given me you. Your company. Your friendship." She hesitated for a moment before saying, "your heart." Jack's eyes widened and a smile slowly filled his face. "And I wouldn't trade that for diamonds or gold," she added emphatically.

"Are you sure?" he whispered. She nodded and smiled at him. "Yes." Their eyes met for several seconds as Jack processed what she had just told him. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He leaned across and his lips met hers. They kissed for just a moment before Elizabeth pulled away and looked around, blushing. "On your front porch? In front of everyone?!" she exclaimed. Jack smiled, "I told you I'll kiss you anytime, anywhere, in front of God and everybody!" They both laughed as they sat back.

Elizabeth took another sip of tea. When she set her tea cup down, she added. "Well, I must say there is something else I want from you." Jack gave her a questioning look. "Your tea!" she exclaimed. "Surprisingly, you make a really good cup of tea, Jack Thornton!" She laughed.

"Surprisingly?!" he scoffed. "What do you think Mounties do for tea and coffee? There aren't many cafés like Abigail's in the wilderness!" Jack countered.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "I'm just surprised that in addition to being a marksman, fisherman, hunter, artist, and seamstress," she emphasized the last word, "that you are also such an excellent tea brewer." Jack laughed. "Well, you never asked." Elizabeth laughed with him as Jack reached for her hand. They sat back, holding hands, enjoying Jack's tea and the rest of the evening.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_"The corruption of people_

_ is to behave in an inhuman way."_

_~Alan Bullock_

Henry Gowen walked back to his office, clearly unhappy with the way the trial had ended for the day. People on the street gave him wide berth. The Pinkertons had left the saloon without even speaking to him, which was just fine with him. He'd ordered Gentry to meet him at his office, but Gentry told him he wasn't feeling well and that he'd see him in the morning.

Gowen had been terribly angry with Gentry at first but, as he got further away from the saloon, he realized the true targets of his anger were Abigail Stanton and Bill Avery. And Mountie Jack, of course. If he hadn't come to Coal Valley, his Pinkertons would still be the law around here and he wouldn't have this problem. He shook his head and exhaled so hard he almost growled.

He wished Gentry had come to his office because he wanted to yell at someone. Now, he would have to settle for having a stiff drink or two and then going to sleep. Unfortunately, he had to face the trial again in the morning. His frown deepened with that thought as he ascended the stairs to his office.

He opened the door and was startled to see a man helping himself to his whiskey. The man turned around and Gowen's face drained of color as he recognized his boss, Randall Pope. "Come in, Henry, and join me," Pope ordered, as though it was his office not Gowen's.

Gowen stepped in and closed the door behind him. "Good evening, sir," Gowen replied, quickly collecting himself after the shock. "Can I pour you a drink?" Pope offered Gowen his own liquor. "Wish I had some good 20 year old single malt to offer you but all we have is this," he smoothly insulted Gowen's taste in whiskey.

Gowen shook his head as he was no longer thirsty. "What brings you to Coal Valley, sir?" He chose not to beat around the bush.

Pope smiled wryly at the direct question before swallowing the alcohol in one gulp. He studied the glass for a moment before setting it on Gowen's desk. "I was summoned here," he said flatly.

Gowen's brow furrowed. "By who?" Pope strolled over to the window and looked outside. "By the court," he answered. "I have been called as a witness."

"They summoned you from New York?" Gowen asked, clearly surprised. Pope shook his head, keeping his back to Gowen. "No, I was out this way. I had some business in Calgary and then was about to enjoy some fishing. Seems Inspector Avery had other plans for my vacation."

Gowen crossed over to his desk, considering this turn of events, as he thumbed through some papers.

Pope spun around and snarled, "Henry?" Gowen looked up from his desk. "I thought you were going to handle all this?" Pope asked pointedly.

"I was handling it, sir, until one of the widows stole a file..." Gowen began his explanation.

"One of the widows?" Pope exclaimed. "What are they still doing here? The explosion was months ago! Shouldn't they have moved out and on with their lives by now?"

Gowen frowned. "Well, there were some complications with that..." Pope asked loudly, "Complications?! What complications? And how did a widow happen to steal a file from you?"

Pope's anger kept rising. "What kind of operation are you running here, Henry? Good God!" He walked back to the desk, snatched up his glass, and headed to pour another drink.

Gowen inhaled slowly, his own anger mounting. He watched Pope pour the whiskey, using the time to consider his reply. When Pope finished pouring, Gowen spoke. "Sir, to be candid, I HAVE been handling this. However, I have serious questions about Mr. Gentry's competence as a lawyer at this point." Pope swung around and glared at Gowen. "Why is that?" he asked, frowning.

Gowen raised his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "Sir, I think we need to talk about what's really going on here." He walked around to the chairs in front of his desk. He motioned for Pope to join him as he sat in one of the chairs. Pope gulped the whiskey and then, instead of taking the seat next to Gowen, he sat across from him in Gowen's own desk chair. "Okay, Henry, you've got my attention."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

_"You can't blame gravity for falling in love."_

_~Albert Einstein_

Bill was at the stove, spooning the cooked eggs onto two plates. "So, is Elizabeth's aunt okay? You said she's sleeping upstairs and she wasn't at the trial this afternoon. She's not getting sick again, is she?"

Abigail was slicing some bread. "No, I don't think she's having a relapse. After lunch, she told Elizabeth that she wanted to rest. She's still getting her strength back after the bout of pneumonia."

"Well, if she wakes up and is hungry, I'll make some more eggs," Bill said as he set the plates on the table.

Abigail smiled as she brought the bread and butter to the table. "Coffee?" she asked.

"Yes," Bill answered. "But you sit. I'll get it."

"Alright." Abigail smiled and sat down at one of the plates of eggs.

Bill walked over to the large coffee urns and poured a cup of coffee. "Go ahead and try the egg," he called over his shoulder to Abigail as he drew the second cup of coffee from the urn. When he returned to the table with the coffees, Abigail had just taken a bite of egg. Bill watched her intently. She closed her eyes as she chewed. After she swallowed, she still didn't open her eyes.

"Well?" Bill asked expectantly. Abigail slowly opened her eyes. She teased him with a few moments of silence before she finally said, "Not bad at all, Inspector Avery." A smile filled her face. "You make some very good eggs." "Thank you," he replied as he stabbed a forkful of eggs and ate them.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as they enjoyed their simple dinner. Then, Bill stopped eating and watched Abigail. He set down his fork, took a quick sip of coffee, and said, "Abigail, there's something I need to talk with you about." Abigail looked at Bill and saw his seriousness. She, too, set down her fork. "What is it?"

Bill slowly inhaled before speaking. "Well… after Jack told me that Gowen had made accusations about your late husband, I…" he hesitated, struggling to find the right words, "well, to be honest, I requested his employment records from his previous employer."

Abigail's eyes widened. "You what?"

"Abigail, I did it to be sure they didn't drag Noah's name through the mud. I think Gowen's desperately trying to pin the responsibility on someone else and he thinks it would be easy to do that to Noah," Bill hurriedly explained. "I got the records in hopes of clearing Noah's name once and for all."

Abigail considered his words for a few moments before asking, "And what did you find?"

"Actually," Bill began, "It's interesting. The records indicate that Noah was indeed fired. However, he was then rehired."

"What?" Abigail exclaimed. "No, no! Noah was never fired."

Bill nodded quickly. "According to the records from the Superior Mine, he was indeed fired," he explained. Abigail opened her mouth to protest again so he rushed on. "He was fired because he refused to lead his men into the mine until safety concerns were addressed. Apparently, he had raised numerous concerns with the mine boss. When those concerns weren't addressed, he wouldn't go into the mine and his men wouldn't go, either."

Abigail relaxed a bit. "Well, that does sound like Noah. But you said he was rehired?"

Bill smiled and nodded. "Yes, later that same day, it seems." "The same day?" she blurted out as she shook her head, confused. "What?"

"Apparently, the owner of Superior Mine just happened to arrive that day to check the mine operations. He rehired Noah after he fired the mine boss. It seems it was quite a day," Bill observed. "Sounds like it was," Abigail agreed, chuckling.

"Now, I'll only use the records if Gowen tries to pin responsibility on Noah. I wanted you to know before that happened." He took another drink of coffee and waited for her reaction. Abigail smiled and told him, "Thank you."

Bill smiled back and then glanced around the kitchen. "What are you looking for?" Abigail asked. "Is there any pie?" he asked. Abigail smiled. "Apple or blueberry?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

_"When it is dark enough, one can see stars."_

_~Ralph Waldo Emerson_

The next day, the trial resumed and Bill was questioning Randall Pope. "Mr. Pope, do you remember receiving this telegram from Henry Gowen?" Bill showed Pope the telegram that Jack had retrieved from the trash can at the Mercantile shortly after he'd arrived in Coal Valley. Pope looked at the paper. "Yes," he answered succinctly.

"What were the safety violations that Mr. Gowen referred to?" Bill continued. Pope shifted his gaze to Bill. "After speaking with Henry Gowen, I learned that some miners had stated concerns about safety at the mine. However, I understand that no violations were ever found."

Bill's eyebrows furrowed. "Then, why did the telegram state there were safety violations?" Pope shook his head. "I don't know," he answered. Bill took a step towards him. "You didn't ask him?" Pope simply answered, "No."

Bill quickly understood just how hostile a witness Pope was going to be. He turned and walked back to his desk and picked up the file that Abigail had removed from Gowen's office. "Actually, we have a company file from Mr. Gowen's office that states corners had been cut when it came to safety at the mine. It clearly states that there were safety violations. Where you not aware of this?"

Pope showed no emotion. He shook his head. "No, I was not."

Bill pulled another paper from the file. "I wonder if you could tell me what these numbers mean." He handed Pope the journal page that Abigail had given him.

Pope studied the paper. "Well," he finally answered after a few minutes. "It appears to be a list of gas levels in the mine."

He offered the paper back to Bill, but Bill deferred taking it back. "Would you please tell us what those gas levels mean?"

Pope reluctantly looked at the paper again. "It's a listing of oxygen and methane levels." "Okay. Is there anything abnormal about those numbers?" Bill queried. "I'm not a chemist," Pope pronounced.

"But, Mr. Pope," Bill countered. "You are president of Pacific Northwest Mining Company. And you have been in charge of coal mines almost your entire life. Surely you can tell if those numbers appear to be correct or not."

Pope cleared his throat. "Well, I'm no expert, but it appears that the methane levels are higher than they should be," he said in a low voice.

"And what about the oxygen levels?" Bill asked. Pope sniffed and gave Bill a look of disdain. "Again, I'm no expert, but they appear to be a little low," he admitted,

Bill nodded. "What does that tell you? High methane levels and low oxygen levels?" Pope stared at Bill but didn't answer. Bill waited several moments. "Mr. Pope, will you answer the question?" he prompted. Pope continued to stare at him before answering in a barely audible voice. "As I said, I'm not an expert."

"But you own coal mines. What does that tell you as a coal mine owner?" Bill restated his question. Pope met Bill's gaze and did not answer. "Judge?" Bill turned to Judge Black.

"Mr. Avery, I believe every man and woman in this room is well aware of what that means. You're beating that dead horse again. Move on," Judge Black ordered.

Bill pursed his lips and anger flashed in his eyes for a moment. He turned back to the table and caught a glimpse of Abigail. She was watching him and she flashed him an encouraging look.

"Mr. Pope," he continued as he turned back to face him. "Did Mr. Gowen tell you what he'd done to avoid negligence? He reported in the telegram that he had made sure the mine company didn't bear responsibility in the explosion. Did he say how he handled the matter?"

Pope answered immediately this time. "No, he did not."

"You didn't want to know what he'd done?" Bill asked, a bit incredulous. "Mr. Avery, I own several mines. I trust my mine managers to handle day-to-day operations," Pope replied.

Bill nodded. "I see... hmmm... I see," he said as he slowly paced in front of his table. He stopped abruptly and turned to Pope. "So, you're saying that Mr. Gowen managed the mine well? Even though an explosion killed 46 men?"

Pope was taken back by the question. After a long pause, he finally responded. "Losing those men was certainly a horrible tragedy. But we are in the coal mine business and coal mines are fraught with dangers."

"Mr. Pope, are you aware that our constable witnessed Mr. Gowen and Pinkerton Richardson burning papers?" Bill asked. Pope's head snapped up to meet Bill's gaze momentarily before he glanced over to Gowen.

"Were you aware that he was burning company documents?" Avery asked again.

Pope stared at Gowen, who quickly looked away, carefully considering his words before answering. "I wasn't aware of that particular incident, no. But, from time to time, older documents may need to be destroyed."

Bill frowned, as he's hoped to catch Pope off guard and confuse him, but he wasn't even raising a hair on the man. He then walked toward Pope. "You said no violations were found. Did the company conduct an investigation into the allegations the miners made about safety violations?"

Pope glared at Bill. "I believe Mr. Gowen checked on those allegations. He said he had some concerns about the mine foreman, Stanton."

Abigail stiffened, startled at the mention of her late husband's name. Others in the courtroom whispered. Judge Black scowled at the whisperers and they hushed immediately.

"What?" Bill asked, surprised. He was expecting Gowen to make the allegation, not Pope.

"Gowen said that he'd learned that Stanton had trouble at the previous mine he'd worked at," Pope reported. "He said that it seemed Stanton didn't follow all the safety regulations at that previous mine and was fired."

"Do you or Mr. Gowen have proof of those allegations?" Bill asked, tersely. Pope looked over at Gowen, who shook his head slightly. "Ummm... not at the moment," Pope conceded.

Bill, his back to the judge and Pope, was looking at papers on his table. He looked up for a moment and caught Abigail's gaze. He tried to convey to her his intentions. Understanding that he was seeking her permission, she nodded and Bill flashed her a brief smile. He then turned around and held up a file. "Your honor, I'd like to enter this as evidence. It's Noah Stanton's employment file from his previous employer, Superior Mine."

Pope's eyes flared and he looked to Gowen, who was scowling, not hiding that he was furious. He turned to Gentry and whispered to him, conveying his displeasure at this turn of events. Gentry's face tightened as he bore the brunt of Gowen's anger, again.

"Bring it here, Avery," Judge Black ordered. Bill gladly brought the file to the judge. "Your honor, you'll see in that file that Noah Stanton was indeed fired by the supervisor of Superior Mine."

Again, whispers and murmurs rippled through the court audience. Judge Black just had to look up this time and they quieted. He, then, turned back to reading the file. After a minute or so, he said, "But this file states that he was reinstated. Reinstated the same day, no less!"

Bill smiled. "Yes, your honor. If you read further, you'll see that he was fired by the mine boss but then rehired by the mine owner. The mine boss was fired by the owner that same day."

"Noah Stanton is NOT on trial here," Bill observed, looking squarely at Gowen. "But, in light of Mr. Pope casting aspersions on Mr. Stanton's reputation, this file clearly shows that he did not commit any safety violations while he was employed at Superior Mine." He looked back at Abigail, who flashed him a grateful smile.

"Your honor," Gentry called, "I object to the admission of this file. I find it highly suspect that Inspector Avery would just happen to have this file. How can we verify its authenticity?"

Judge Black held up a couple of sheets of paper. "Well, the papers do have the Superior Mine Company letterhead. And there's the letter that Inspector Avery mailed to the company to get these records. I think authenticity has been verified."

He then turned to Bill. "Okay, you made your point, Avery. Move on."

Bill nodded, pleased. "Yes, your honor," he agreed as he went back to his earlier line of questions. "Mr. Pope, the mining company didn't send anyone from headquarters to investigate? Even after so many men died?"

Pope answered through clenched teeth, "As I said, Mr. Gowen conducted that investigation."

Bill shook his head. "No, I'm asking why you didn't order someone from your company headquarters to investigate a tragedy of this magnitude?"

Pope gave Bill a searing look. "I trust Mr. Gowen to handle all matters related to this mine."

Bill nodded. "Yes," he said as he walked back to his table. "That has certainly worked well so far."

"Objection!" Gentry called, leaping to his feet.

"I take it back. Withdrawn," Bill quickly said as he sat down. "No further questions."

"Okay. Any questions for Mr. Pope here, Mr. Gentry?" Judge Black asked. Gentry looked at Pope. Pope almost imperceptibly shook his head. Gentry turned back to the judge. "No, your honor."

Judge Black shook his head. "Mr. Gentry, you are a lawyer unlike any lawyer I've ever run into!"

"Your honor? How's that?" Gentry asked, confused.

"Most lawyers I know love to hear themselves talk. You, sir, don't seem to want to talk much at all," Judge Black responded dryly.

Gentry frowned and sat down.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

_"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."_

_~Jean Racine_

Later, with the trial on lunch break, Olivia, Abigail, and Elizabeth were walking back to the café.

"Mrs. Thatcher?" Ned Yost called as he approached the three women. All three turned in in his direction. "Yes?" Olivia responded. "I have a telegram for you," Yost explained as he thrust an envelope toward Olivia.

She took the envelope and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Yost." She opened the envelope and began reading. Yost nodded and headed back to the Mercantile.

Abigail and Elizabeth watched Olivia intently as she read the telegram. They exchanged questioning glances then turned back to Olivia as she returned the telegram to the envelope. Olivia placed the envelope in her purse and then noticed Elizabeth and Abigail watching her expectantly. She smiled but didn't say anything.

Elizabeth couldn't stand not knowing who sent the telegram. "Ummm... is everything alright?" she fished for information.

"Oh," Olivia replied. "Yes. Everything's fine."

Elizabeth frowned, wanting more information. "That's the first telegram you've received since you've been here. Who found you here?" she asked.

Olivia looked at Elizabeth and Elizabeth thought she saw a small frown cross her aunt's lips before she spoke. "Who found me?" She repeated. Elizabeth nodded eagerly. Olivia looked at her purse, where she'd stashed the telegram, stalling for another moment before answering. "Oh, that was just from Melanie," she said, forcing a lightness into her voice. Turning to Abigail, she explained, "My eldest daughter... Elizabeth's cousin." Abigail nodded.

"Oh, well," Elizabeth replied, a bit haltingly. "And how is Melanie? Is she asking when you'll visit them?" Elizabeth asked, continuing to pry.

"It seems... well...," she slowly began. She paused as she fussed with her purse clasp. Then, she continued walking toward the café, not continuing her answer.

Elizabeth was flustered with her aunt. "Aunt Olivia!" she called to get her attention. Olivia turned and faced her. "Yes, dear?"

Elizabeth motioned with her hands, frustrated. "What did she write?" she asked. Then she realized how demanding that sounded and corrected, "I mean, is everything okay with her and her family?"

"Oh, yes, everything's fine," Olivia stated matter-of-factly. Then, she realized Elizabeth was expecting more information. "Actually, she ummm..." She once again hesitated before finally answering. "Well, see... she wrote me that her husband's family is visiting now. Her husband's mother is a bit of an insufferable woman! I believe I'll let them enjoy their visit before I head that way. That is," she turned to Abigail, "if I haven't worn out my welcome here."

Abigail shook her head. "Absolutely not! You are most welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Olivia." She headed into the café. "We better hurry with our lunch so we can get back for the trial," she called over her shoulder.

Olivia smiled and fell in step behind Abigail. Skepticism and concern flashed across Elizabeth's face as she watched her aunt enter the café before following her.

Gowen was sitting at the dining table in the mine company office with Gentry and Pope. The remains of their lunches sat on the table as they all intently watched Gowen's assistant, Will Burns, who was standing next to Gowen.

"So, do you understand, Will?" Gowen asked. Burns was staring at his feet as he slowly rubbed his hands together. He didn't seem to hear Gowen.

Gowen looked at Pope and Gentry and then asked again, "Do you understand? We will wire the money to your parents as soon as you sign the papers. Mr. Gentry says it's unlikely you will serve more than six months."

"Six months to a year," Gentry interjected. Gowen and Pope both gave Gentry sharp, angry looks. He slid back in his chair.

Gowen continued. "When you're released, you will have a job at the head office in New York, comparable to your current job, and the company will provide transportation for you to New York." Gowen looked to Pope, who nodded his agreement. "All you have to do is sign these papers." He nodded to Gentry who picked up some papers and walked over to Burns. He held out the papers for Burns to take. Burns looked up at him, his eyes wide.

"You know what to do, Will," Gowen stated pointedly. Will did not answer. Instead, he looked down and exhaled slowly. Gowen, frustrated with Burns' hesitance, told him, "Will, we will turn over the evidence we found."

"You mean the evidence you made up!" Burns interjected, anger in his voice.

Gowen closed his eyes and exhaled, fighting to contain his temper. "We will turn over the evidence," he stated again. "Now, if you don't sign these papers, then you will be on your own. None of what I just told you will happen."

Pope motioned with his head for Gentry to again try to hand the papers to Burns, which he did. Burns looked up at Gentry and slowly reached for the papers. After studying the papers for a minute he looked up. "I want double the money for my parents," he contended in a slow, almost whispered voice.

Gowen flashed a angry, shocked expression at Pope. Pope sternly studied Burns, who was staring back at him, his gaze surprisingly unwavering. "Agreed," Pope almost growled through gritted teeth.

"Now will you sign?" Gowen asked angrily. "I don't want a job with your company," Burns asserted.

Gowen was surprised at Burns' newfound backbone.

Burns continued, "I just want an excellent reference letter from both of you. I'll find a job with a better company." This time he stared down Henry Gowen, who turned away to see Pope's reaction. Even Burns seemed a bit surprised at his strength in standing up to Gowen and Pope.

Pope said, once again through clenched teeth, "Agreed." Burns said nothing, waiting for them to write the letters.

Pope growled at Gowen, "Get the company paper." Gowen scowled at Burns as he walked into his office and then returned carrying a couple sheets of paper, pens, and an ink bottle. Gowen returned to his seat and passed a sheet of paper and a pen to Pope. The two proceeded to write the letters as Burns had demanded. After several minutes, Pope handed his letter to Burns, who read over it. He looked up at Pope, folded the letter, and nodded.

Pope turned to Gowen. "Hurry up, Henry. We've got to get back to court and get this matter finished."

Gowen gave a sharp look to Pope as he finished writing. He set the pen down and walked over to Burns. With his back to Pope, he handed the paper to Burns. Burns reached for the letter but Gowen didn't release it. "You better hope our paths never cross again," he threatened Burns.

Burns balled his fists and pulled his right arm back, ready to strike Gowen, but was stopped by Pinkerton Richardson grabbing his wrist. Burns looked at the Pinkerton, shocked, and tried to wrestle his wrist free. The Pinkerton shook his head at Burns and held Burns' wrist firmly.

"You might want to calm down, Will," Gowen advised, smugly. "Anyone sparring with a Pinkerton usually comes out of the fight in very poor condition indeed."

Burns unclenched his fists. Richardson released Burns' wrist before returning to where he'd been standing near the doorway.

"You better hope your Pinkertons are around if we do ever meet again," Burns retorted, once again surprising himself. Gowen sneered and returned to his chair.

"Sign!" Pope demanded. Burns nodded. "I'll sign," he said in a low voice. He grabbed the pen from the table, dipped it into the ink bottle, and signed the papers.

"Okay, Mr. Richardson," Pope ordered as he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. Pinkerton Richardson moved over to the table and stood next to Pope. "Send a telegram to my office in New York. I'd prefer you send it from somewhere other than the Coal Valley Mercantile," he ordered as he scribbled something on the piece of paper.

Richardson nodded and offered, "There's a store in Hinton that we use sometimes."

"Good," Pope acknowledged. "I need my office to send a check to this address in Winnipeg. The amount for the check is listed on this paper." He handed Richardson the slip of paper. Richardson glanced over the paper and nodded. "I'll head there now," Richardson told him as he turned and headed out.

Realizing that they were no longer paying attention to him, Burns walked out of the dining room and headed to the front office, where he collapsed into his desk chair. He sat for a moment, processing all that had happened to him in the last half hour. He tried to figure out how it had come to this.

He chastised himself for all the times over the last two years that he'd witnessed Henry Gowen's cutthroat business practices and questionable decisions and done nothing. He should've spoken up or left the company a long time ago. He held his head in his hands, trying to quiet his thoughts and the sobs that threatened to erupt from his throat.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_"Defeat may serve as well as victory_

_to shake the soul_

_and let the glory out."_

_~Edwin Markham_

That afternoon, the trial continued with Bill calling Mr. Gowen to testify. Gowen began his testimony scowling and things had only gone downhill from there. Gowen asserted that, prior to the explosion, he was unaware of any safety concerns at the mine. He insisted that Jack had just seen him destroying old personnel records, as Pinkerton Richardson had testified. When asked if Noah Stanton had discussed any concerns about mine safety with him, he insisted he had not. He stated that Noah often spoke with his assistant Will Burns.

"Are you saying that you didn't speak directly with your mine foreman?" Bill asked. "I spoke with him at times, but Stanton seemed to prefer to speak with my assistant," Gowen replied tersely. Bill frowned, as this was not the answer he'd expected. "Really? Why was that?" Bill asked.

Gowen shook his head. "Noah Stanton had some funny ways of handling business." Gowen stared at Abigail, who was again seated at the table behind Bill Avery's table. Abigail glared back at him, anger flashing in her eyes. Gowen looked back at Bill and continued, "Mr. Gentry spoke with someone at Stanton's previous job and found that he had some trouble at the previous mine he worked at. Perhaps he preferred to speak with Burns because they both were..."

Bill cut him off. "Mr. Gowen, we have already established that Noah Stanton is not on trial here and that his record was clear at his previous job. Do you or Mr. Gentry have evidence that shows otherwise?"

Gowen glared at Bill for several seconds before answering, "No."

As Bill walked back to his table, considering his next question, Abigail gave him a brief smile of thanks. He automatically flashed a smile back at her. Then, he decided it was time to bring up Gowen's records from his previous employer. "Mr. Gowen, who was your employer before Pacific Northwest?"

Gowen's frown deepened. "Green Valley. Why?"

"Ah, yes, Green Valley Mining," Bill confirmed. "Your honor I'd like to admit Mr. Gowen's record from his previous employer, Green Valley Mining. This record indicates that Mr. Gowen was reprimanded twice for failure to monitor gas levels in mines he supervised." Bill held up the records.

Gowen's face and neck reddened immediately. "Where did you get those?" he growled.

"Green Valley Mine very kindly provided them when I requested them," Bill stated matter-of-factly.

"Hand me those," Judge Black ordered. Bill complied and the judge read over the records for a few minutes. Gowen stared angrily at Bill. Bill gave him a satisfied smile in return. "Okay," the judge pronounced as he handed the records back to Bill. "Proceed."

"Your honor," Gentry interjected. "Objection. These records..." he fumbled for words. "Mr. Gowen is not on trial here."

"Actually, he is," Judge Black corrected. "As the mine supervisor he is on trial."

Still standing at his table, Gentry appeared to be about to complain again when the judge shut him down. "Now be seated," he ordered. "Continue, Avery."

"Yes, sir," Bill answered. "So, Green Valley reprimanded you for failure to monitor gas levels. Is that correct, Mr. Gowen?"

Gowen inhaled loudly before answering, "That was early in my career at Green Valley when I was still learning their operation."

"Actually," Bill corrected, "the last reprimand was about three years into your tenure at the mine."

Gowen protested, "I don't remember that. That record must be wrong."

"Wrong?" Bill questioned. He read from the file. "You are Henry Elliot Gowen, correct? And you worked for Green Valley Mines for three and a half years?" Gowen stared at Bill, his mouth firmly screwed into a pout, before he gave one barely perceptible nod as confirmation.

"Well, then, this is indeed your record," Bill asserted as he looked at Judge Black. Gowen opened his mouth to protest again but Bill redirected his questioning. "Now, let's talk about the telegram. You sent that telegram to Mr. Pope stating that you'd resolved the matter. How did you resolve the matter?"

"Actually, my assistant sent that telegram," Gowen corrected. "Your assistant?" Bill asked, clearly surprised. "But it's your name on the telegram."

Gowen looked at Gentry and then at Pope, who was seated directly behind Gentry. Pope slowly cocked his head to the side and gave a half smile. Gowen nodded and continued. "Yes, it is my name on there but I'm sure Mr. Yost will attest that it was my assistant who sent that telegram."

"What are you saying? He sent the telegram without your knowledge?" Bill asked, confused. "Yes," Gowen affirmed.

Bill, clearly perplexed by this turn of events, studied Gowen. "Why would he do that?"

"Actually, very recently, I've become concerned that my assistant has been acting on his own and not in the best interests of the company," Gowen explained.

"How's that?" Judge Black interjected. Gowen turned to the judge. "After I learned about the telegram during the trial the other day, I had the Pinkertons look into who sent that telegram. I knew I hadn't sent it. When they discovered it was Will Burns, they searched his desk and found documents indicating that he had received complaints about safety in the mine but never passed that information along to me. As I said, he spoke with Noah Stanton. Stanton told Will Burns his concerns, but Burns did nothing with that information."

"Why would he do that?" Bill asked, still trying to assimilate all this information. Gowen shook his head. "Incompetence. I thought he was just young and inexperienced. Turns out he is just plain incompetent."

The saloon was abuzz as everyone, stunned by this information, was talking among themselves. Bill turned around and looked at Abigail, who was as stunned as everyone else. Bill looked over at Jack, who was sternly shaking his head. Bill could see that Jack did not believe what Gowen was saying about Burns.

"But," Bill almost yelled to be heard above the courtroom chatter, "why would he send that telegram to Pope?" Everyone quieted to hear Gowen's answer.

Gowen shook his head. "Only thing we can figure is that he didn't want me to find out so he sent that telegram to Mr. Pope hoping everything would end there." Gowen turned to Judge Black. "Will Burns was acting on his own in all of this. I can assure, the company knew nothing of his actions before this."

Once again, the courtroom audience came alive with everyone talking at once. Judge Black banged his gavel twice. "Alright, everybody settle down," he ordered. Then, he turned to Gowen. "Where are these documents you say the Pinkertons found?"

Gowen looked to Gentry, who pulled papers from his briefcase. Black waved his hand. "Well, bring 'em here, man," he commanded. Gentry rose and brought the papers to the judge. "Your honor," Gentry said after he'd turned over the papers, "you'll also find a confession from Burns in there that the Pinkertons obtained earlier today."

"A confession?" Black asked, his eyebrows raised. Gentry nodded. "Why wasn't this brought to my attention earlier?" Judge Black asked accusatorially.

Gentry fumbled for an answer. "Oh... well... uh... Actually, the information was just shared with me by the Pinkertons as we began this afternoon session." He looked at the judge's table, rather that at Judge Black, as he spoke.

Judge Black studied Gentry for a moment before commenting, "Yes, I think I have a fair idea of how this came into your possession." Gentry quickly turned around and headed back to his seat.

Black thumbed through the papers briefly before announcing, "I need some time to look over these papers. We'll adjourn until 8 tomorrow. Where is Will Burns now?" He asked Gowen. "He's at my office with the Pinkertons," Gowen quickly answered.

"Constable," Black called to Jack. Jack stood up a bit straighter and nodded to the judge. "Take Mr. Burns into custody overnight. We don't want him to decide to leave town all of a sudden. Bring him here in the morning," Judge Black ordered before rapping his gavel once and headed up the stairs to his room, the file in hand.

Jack nodded and headed out as the saloon filled with many animated conversations about the sudden turn of events,

"Here he comes," Pinkerton Sims announced. He was standing in the window of Gowen's office and had spotted Jack exiting the saloon, heading toward the office.

Pinkerton Mitchell rose from his chair and walked over to Will Burns. "Now, you remember," he instructed Burns, who was sitting with his head down and shoulders slightly slumped. "You have a deal with Mr. Gowen and Mr. Pope. You follow through and you will get everything as promised. One slip, one mistake and the deal is off. You'll be on your own with nothing. And Burns?" Burns looked up at Mitchell. "Just because your parents get that money doesn't mean they're safe from us. You understand?" Fear and then anger flashed across Burns' face before he slowly nodded his head. Then, he looked down again and studied his hands.

"He's almost here," Sims called as he walked away from the window and over toward Burns. "Are we all square here, Burns?" he asked.

Burns looked up then, anger flashed in his eyes. "Yes," he said through gritted teeth.

There was a sharp knock on the door. Sims opened the door and Jack walked in. Jack briefly surveyed the scene in the office before turning to Burns. "Will Burns?" Burns looked up at Jack. "I need you to come with me. Judge Black has ordered you into custody until court resumes tomorrow. You'll need to stay in the jail tonight."

Burns stood up slowly. Jack pointed him to the door and Burns began walking slowly, as though his shoes were made of lead. Jack glanced at both the Pinkertons before following Burns out of the office.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

_"Life is a succession of lessons_

_which must be lived to be understood."_

_~Helen Keller_

That evening, Jack and Elizabeth sat in the chairs on the porch of the jail, a picnic basket between them. Jack took a large bite of his sandwich as Elizabeth took a sip of coffee and watched him. She smiled as she set her coffee cup on the small table between their chairs.

"Hmmmm," Jack intoned as he swallowed the bite of sandwich. He looked at Elizabeth. "You baked the bread for these sandwiches?" Elizabeth nodded, proudly smiling. "Really? Well, you're trying to give Abigail a run for her money," he teased. "Thank you, but I'm sure I have a good ways to go to catch up with Abigail," Elizabeth replied, laughing. Jack smiled. "Well, in any case, this is an excellent sandwich!" "Thank you!" She exclaimed, clearly enjoying his compliment.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Elizabeth spoke again. "You don't believe that Gowen's assistant did what they say, do you?"

Jack set down what remained of his sandwich on the table, looked at Elizabeth, and shook his head. "But it really doesn't matter what I think. I just have to keep him here until morning. Then, I'll bring him to court for Judge Black to decide what to do." He made a low, frustrated sound before taking a drink of his coffee.

"I know," Elizabeth agreed. "Bill said something like that as I was packing our dinner. He's positive this is some scheme Gowen and his boss came up with to keep themselves out of trouble."

Jack just nodded, continuing to frown. "But, why would the assistant go along with it?" she asked. Jack shook his head. "Maybe they didn't offer him any choice." He looked at Elizabeth. "I'm sure there were some threats involved."

"Threats?" Elizabeth gasped. "They threatened him?" She was appalled.

Jack nodded. "Maybe. Maybe not him. Maybe his family."

Elizabeth exhaled sharply. "How horrible!" She looked intently at Jack. "Is there anyway you can get him to tell you what happened? To..." she struggled for the right words, "to... well, to tattle on them?"

Jack smiled, amused by her use of school terms in this situation. "I tried to get him to talk with me when I first brought him here. He refused. He hasn't said a word to me since I picked him up at Gowen's office." Jack answered, clearly frustrated. "I'm afraid he's just resolved to his fate."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can't believe Henry Gowen is going to get away with this. This is just awful."

Jack studied Elizabeth, admiring her desire for justice. Then, he decided it was time to change the subject. "Hey," he called for her attention as he smiled. "You have anything for dessert in that basket?"

Elizabeth looked at him and a smile broke across her face. "As a matter of fact..." She reached into the basket and pulled out a plate of cookies. Jack leaned over to check out the cookies. "Those look really delicious," he offered as a compliment. Elizabeth smiled widely at him. "They ought to," she replied. "Abigail baked them!" They both laughed as Jack plucked a cookie from the plate.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

_"There is nothing permanent except change."_

_~Heraclitus_

The next morning, Jack opened the cell door for Will Burns to exit. "It's time to head to court. Are you sure you don't want some coffee or anything for breakfast?" Burns shook his head as he walked through the cell opening and stopped near Jack's desk.

Jack frowned as he studied Burns. He walked around to face Burns. "If there's anything you want to tell me... anything at all that you want to say, now is the time to do it. When we get to court, Judge Black will rule on the evidence presented by Mr. Gentry and you may very well be heading to Medicine Hat Prison." Jack spoke in a low, somber voice.

Burns looked up and met Jack's gaze when he mentioned the prison.

"Is there anything you want to say? Is there something else going on here that I should know? Is there something you want to tell me about Mr. Gowen?" Jack realized he may have gone too far with that last question, but he was so angry that Gowen might be forcing this man to prison to cover his own negligence.

Burns shook his head and looked down at his feet. "My Dad told me if you lay down with dogs, you're gonna get fleas."

Jack's eyes widened, wondering if Burns might be ready to talk. However, Burns looked back up at Jack and said, "Let's just go to the saloon and get this over, Constable."

Jack shook his head, directed Will to the door, and followed him.

It was standing room only at the saloon the next morning as the entire town turned out to hear what Judge Black would rule. People were even sitting on the stairs.

Judge Black called the court to order. "Now, I spent much of last night reading over these documents you gave me, Mr. Gentry," he began. "Just to be clear, you say the Pinkertons found these in Will Burns' desk night before last?"

Gentry stood. "Yes, your honor. The Pinkertons found them. They can testify to that, if you'd like." Gentry motioned towards the Pinkertons seated behind him.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm sure they'll just corroborate what you say, anyway." The judge waved for Gentry to be seated as he thumbed through the papers. "It was interesting reading, I'll give you that. Very interesting..."

Gowen and Pope both shifted nervously in their seats as the judge spoke. Judge Black looked up from the papers and stared intently first at Gowen and then at Pope. Both men squirmed under the intense gaze of Judge Jedidiah Black. Suddenly, Judge Black swiveled his gaze to the right. "Is Will Burns here, Constable?" he asked Jack.

Jack and Burns were seated at a table to the far right. Jack stood. "He is, your honor," he answered as he tapped Burns' shoulder, signaling him to stand. Burns pushed his chair back and stood, looking down at his feet.

"Mr. Burns," the judge called as he held up some of the documents. "Are these papers from your desk as Mr. Gentry contends?"

There was silence in the saloon as all eyes were on Burns, waiting for him to answer. After a very long pause, without looking up, Burns replied in a low voice, "Yes, sir."

Judge Black set down the documents and studied Burns. "Son, these documents are pretty damning. They indicate that you were well aware of safety concerns in that mine shaft for months. That you knew the gas in the mine was reaching dangerous levels, but you chose to do nothing about it. You didn't make your boss, Mr. Gowen, aware of the safety concerns or the gas levels. Is that correct?"

Burns closed his eyes and then nodded his head. The judge shook his head. "Why would you do that?"

Burns' eyes opened quickly and he seemed to be searching the floor. He folded his hands together and wrung them slowly. He didn't respond to the judge. The judge waited patiently for a couple of minutes before rebuking him. "Mr. Burns! Why would you not act on this information? Why didn't you tell you boss, Mr. Gowen?"

Burns finally looked up and shrugged. "I really don't know, sir. Maybe I just didn't want to deal with him. He can be a bully," he explained.

Some laughter could be heard from the audience but the room quickly silenced when Black scowled at everyone. He turned back to Burns and narrowed his eyes. "That may be so, but that mine exploded and all those men died." Burns just looked down and shook his head. Judge Black frowned and looked down at the file in his hand before asking, "And why you didn't destroy these papers? Seems like if you didn't want anyone to know you would've gotten rid of them."

Burns glared at Gowen before looking down again. "I guess I didn't think anyone would ever find them," he said through gritted teeth.

The judge studied Burns as he slowly exhaled. He continued to comb through the papers for several moments before speaking again. "Well, this is pretty overwhelming evidence. Not to mention the confession you signed for the Pinkertons. This court has no choice but to charge you with criminal negligence in the deaths of the 47 miners killed at the Pacific Northwest Mine. How do you plead, Mr. Burns?" Burns looked up, swallowed hard, and answered, "Guilty."

A wave of whispers passed through the saloon but Judge Black silenced them with a stern look.

"Well, okay," the judge began as he neatly stacked the papers and pushed them to the side of his table. "This case is certainly very unusual. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Something here just doesn't seem to be as it seems. However, I have no choice but to give you some prison time, Mr. Burns."

The judge studied Burns carefully before turning to look back at Gowen and Pope. Again, both of them shifted in their seats and looked away from the judge's scrutiny. The judge's eyes narrowed. He looked back to Burns and his face softened just a bit. He finally announced, "The law dictates prison time with a minimum of six months to a maximum of twenty years."

Burns' eyes flew to the judge, fear washing over his face.

Judge Black continued, "Therefore, I sentence you to six months at Medicine Hat Prison."

Again, whispers spread across the room. This time, Judge Black rapped his gavel once to quiet everyone. "Now that we've dealt with this unexpected criminal case, let's get back to the civil suit against Pacific Northwest Mine Company. I believe we've heard enough testimony to proceed to a ruling. Do either of you have any more witnesses to call. Avery?" he asked, looking intently at Bill. His narrowed eyes clearly conveyed his desire to get this matter concluded.

"No, your honor," Bill responded.

Meanwhile, Pope had leaned forward and was whispering something to Gentry. Gentry motioned for him to sit back. "It's okay," he assured Pope. " Then, he lowered his voice, "No need to worry. With Burns headed to prison, the company is clear." He nodded his head to emphasize his certainty that the judge's ruling would go their way.

"Gentry!" the judge bellowed. Gentry's attention snapped back to the judge. "Uh... no, your honor, no more witnesses," he agreed.

"Well, okay, then," the judge concurred as he looked over some papers. Everyone in the saloon sat in rapt silence, awaiting the ruling. Gentry turned to Gowen and then Pope, smiling smugly. Pope nodded but didn't return the smile. Gowen, however, was intently watching Judge Black, his face tight.

Finally, the judge looked up and addressed everyone. "Well, this is an unusual case. But, it's actually quite clear where the responsibility for this terrible tragedy lies." He looked squarely at Henry Gowen. "Therefore, I find the Pacific Northwest Mining Company liable in this matter."

Numerous gasps could be heard around the saloon.

"Your honor!" Gentry exclaimed. "Liability? For the company?" Gentry was confused.

The judge nodded. "Yes, liability. Your employee here has been found guilty of criminal negligence. Therefore, the company is liable for the damages he caused."

Pope quickly leaned forward and whispered something in Gentry's ear. Gowen remained in his seat, but his face and neck were turning red. He was enraged. "Will Burns was acting on his own," Gowen yelled at Judge Black. "The company had no part in his actions. He acted alone!"

"But, he was your assistant, Mr. Gowen," Judge Black reprimanded. "Was he not paid by the company?" Gowen glared at the judge but didn't answer. "Answer the question Gowen. Was he a paid employee of Pacific Northwest Mining Company?" the judge reiterated. Gowen continuing staring down the judge and finally nodded his head once. "Then the company bears responsibility due to its employee's negligence," Judge Black stated authoritatively.

Pope continued to speak in Gentry's ear. "Mr. Gentry," Judge Black asked sharply. "Do you have something to say to the court? Or is Mr. Pope firing you on the spot?"

Gentry's jaw locked as his eyes flared with anger. He turned to Pope and pointed him back to his seat. "No, your honor," he answered in a strained voice.

"Well, okay, then. I find that since the Pacific Northwest Mine Company's employee is criminally negligent in this case, the company should pay each one of widows and the one surviving miner," he glanced down at his papers briefly before finishing, "five hundred dollars."

This time, everyone in the audience gasped.

"Your honor!" Gentry protested.

"Five hundred dollars?" Gowen yelled.

Pope was shaking his head and called out, "Never!"

Black knocked his gavel once and everyone quieted. He turned to Gowen. "That's about a year's salary, isn't it?" the judge inquired. He received no answer, but continued, "And you are responsible for the education of the children of the killed or injured miners."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. Gowen, too, realized quickly what the judge had just said. "Your honor?" he asked. "Does that mean that the mine company will now pay the school teacher's salary?"

Elizabeth's mouth opened in astonishment and horror as she shook her head. Jack looked over at Elizabeth, clearly realizing the implications. He looked to Judge Black, shaking his head as if to tell the judge to stop.

Judge Black mulled it over and, though he hadn't seen Jack's signal, he reconsidered. "No," he announced, "I think not."

Elizabeth exhaled with relief.

"Let's see," the judge considered his ruling carefully. "I believe twenty dollars per child per year until they complete grade school would be appropriate. The mine will give that money to the mayor of Coal Valley, who will then use the money to pay the teacher's salary and buy any needed supplies. That money is to be used only for those two things: teacher's salary and school supplies. Is that clear, Mr. Mayor?" He scanned the crowd for the mayor.

Mayor Ramsay stood and spoke clearly and authoritatively. "Yes, your honor." As he sat down, Dottie Ramsay patted her husband's arm and smiled proudly.

Pope was seething but Gowen was surprising calm as the judge turned back to them. "Let's see..." he glanced down at papers on his desk. "Is there anything else... Oh yes! Gentleman, the Bureau of Mines will be alerted to your company's negligence in this explosion. Expect them to take a keen interest in your company and, especially, this mine." Pope balled his hands into fists as he glared at the judge. "And don't get any ideas about closing this mine. I'm going to speak with the head of the Bureau of Mines about ensuring this mine and town remain open."

Abigail bravely looked over at Gowen, expecting to meet his angry stare. She was surprised to see his head bowed as he stared at the table. His mouth, however, was screwed into a full, angry pout.

"I think that's it," Judge Black pronounced. He rapped the gavel once. "This court is adjourned." He turned to Jack. "When's the next stagecoach?"

Jack was a bit startled by the question. "Ummm... actually, it should be here this afternoon." The judge nodded. "Good." He picked up all the papers and the gavel from his table and headed up the stairs as the courtroom erupted with everyone talking at once.

Immediately after the judge rapped his gavel, Gowen shot out of his chair, deftly working his way through the crowd to the door. Pope coolly watched him make his hasty exit. Once Gowen had exited the saloon, he turned to Gentry, who was somberly gathering his papers from the table. "I'll deal with you after I deal with Gowen," he threatened Gentry before he, too, made his way out of the building.

Jack turned to Burns. "Stand up, please." Burns stood as Jack pulled handcuffs from his pocket. Burns' eyes widened. "You've been convicted and we have to go back to the jail. These are required," Jack explained. Burns nodded and turned, his hands behind his back. Jack placed him in the handcuffs and walked him out of the saloon. A hush fell over the courtroom as everyone watched Burns and Jack leave.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_"Absence is to love as wind is to fire:_

_it extinguishes the small_

_and kindles the great."_

_~Roder de Bussy-Rabutin_

The next morning, Bill was at Abigail's Cafe early, well before opening time. Abigail was in the kitchen, packing food into a canvas bag. They both were a bit bleary-eyed after last evening's impromptu potluck get-together at Abigail's Cafe. It was "The Best Thanksgiving Ever," as Emily Montgomery had dubbed it. Most of the town had taken part, celebrating the judges's ruling and commemorating the end to a dark chapter in their lives. It had continued well into the night. In fact, the last people left so late that Abigail, Elizabeth, and Olivia had gone to bed, leaving the remnants of the festivities to be cleaned up in the morning. Now, Abigail surveyed her cafe and frowned, wishing she had cleaned up last night, after all.

She turned back to Bill. "I hope this will be enough to last until you get to the prison. How long a ride is it?" Abigail asked. Bill, who was just finishing his coffee, yawned widely, triggering a chuckle from Abigail. He set the coffee cup down on the table and chided her, "What? You mean you aren't tired?" She nodded. "Yes, but you're the one who keeps yawning!" Then, she found herself fighting a yawn. "Oh dear, it's catching!" she teased.

Bill laughed and grabbed his canteen, "I guess I better fill this thing with coffee so I stay awake on the ride." He raised his eyebrows, asking her permission. "Help yourself," she told him before asking him again, "how long is the ride?" He started filling the canteen with coffee as he answered over his shoulder, "It takes about four days to get to Medicine Hat."

Abigail nodded as she grabbed a loaf of bread and started slicing it. Bill walked over and stood next to her. "Abigail, I won't be coming back after I deliver this prisoner to Medicine Hat. I have orders to report to headquarters in Regina." Abigail stopped suddenly and looked at Bill. "In Saskatchewan?" she asked, shocked. Bill nodded. "Yes, I have to find out where my new assignment will be. I received a telegram a couple of days ago that I was not to return to Cape Fullerton."

Abigail dropped her gaze, clearly upset by what Bill had said. She felt tears building in her eyes. Bill continued. "So, I don't know how long it will be before I can get back here to Coal Valley."

Abigail walked over to the other counter and began to pick some cookies from the jar. Her back was to Bill and she took the opportunity to gather herself after she was surprised by Bill's news. After a few moments, she was composed again and turned back with her hands full of cookies. "Well, then I better pack you as much as I can for your long trip."

"Abigail, I'm so sorry..." he attempted to soothe her. Abigail turned and looked squarely at Bill. "No," she said sternly. "You have your job to do. I completely understand." "Abigail," he said as he reached for her hand. "I will be back as soon as I can," he assured. Abigail stared at her hand in his. She smiled mildly. "I know," she whispered to him.

Bill gazed at Abigail and then boldly leaned toward her. He gently kissed her cheek and then pulled back to look in her eyes. After several seconds, they closed their eyes and their lips briefly touched. Bill hugged her once more before leaving the cafe, the canvas bag of food in his hand. After he left, Abigail closed her eyes against a new onslaught of tears.

Bill walked over to the front of the jail, where Jack was assisting Burns onto his horse. Bill showed Jack the canvas bag. "Some delicious food from Abigail for the trip." Jack smiled. "Good. Should taste a lot better than a can of beans and hard biscuits." He turned and saw Elizabeth walking across the road from the cafe. Turning back to Bill, he said, "I'll be right back." Bill smiled as he spotted Elizabeth. "Sure," he assured Jack.

Jack met Elizabeth halfway across the street. "I was wondering if you were going to sleep in and not come to see me off." Elizabeth smiled. "Oh, I'm awake! I was just wondering if you were going leave without telling me bye." Jack scoffed. "No, ma'am! You had about five minutes before I was going to rush into your bedroom to wake you up for my proper farewell!" Elizabeth gasped and gave him a scolding look, "Jack Thornton! You wouldn't dare!"

Jack laughed and took both of her hands in his. His laugh mellowed into a smile as his eyes met hers. He then spoke in a low voice, "I'll be back as soon as I can. It'll probably be four or five days. I'm only traveling as far as Lacombe where another Mountie will continue on to Medicine Hat Prison with Bill."

Elizabeth looked down at his hands holding hers and nodded. "I know it'll seem like forever but it won't be. I just have to remember that." She looked up and smiled at him. Jack smiled back, beaming at her. Then, he slowly scooped her into his arms. They held each other tightly for several moments. As they broke their embrace, he kissed her forehead and then gently kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back but, as their lips parted, she mildly rebuked him with her eyes.

"I keep telling you that I'm courting you in public. And this is definitely in public," he told her, smiling mischievously. Her stern look melted into a smile. "Hurry home, Jack," she urged. "Yes, ma'am!" he assured her as he turned to mount his horse. He tipped his hat to her as he led Burns out of town, with Bill following them.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

_"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,_

_for tomorrow will worry for itself._

_Each day has enough trouble of its own."_

_~Matthew 6:34_

Elizabeth watched them turn the corner, and out if town, before heading back to the café As she walked, she spotted her aunt sitting on the porch reading something. When she got closer, she could see Olivia was re-reading the telegram she'd received the other day. Elizabeth had noticed her aunt reading over that telegram at least two other times since she'd first received it. She seemed to be completely engrossed in it.

"Are Melanie and her family alright?" Elizabeth asked as she climbed the stairs to the porch. Olivia jumped as though a firecracker had gone off next to her ear. "Goodness!" she exclaimed as the telegram fell to the porch floor and Olivia clutched her throat. "I'm sorry!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I didn't mean to startle you!" She reached for the telegram but her aunt had already scooped it up and shoved it back into her skirt pocket. "No, no, I just didn't see you there," Olivia assured her niece as she regained her composure.

Elizabeth sat down on the bench next to her aunt. "So how is Melanie? And her little one?" Olivia hesitated for a moment but then answered, "Oh, they're fine."

"I know you must be anxious to see them. Hopefully, her in-laws will leave soon so you can continue your trip to see them," Elizabeth said.

Olivia just stared out toward the road. Concerned, Elizabeth asked, "Aunt Olivia?" Her aunt swiveled her head toward Elizabeth. "Hmm?" Elizabeth continued, "Everything okay?" Olivia nodded and then patted Elizabeth's hand. "Of course, sweetie. Come on, let's go help Abigail clean up that mess from last night." She stood and headed to the door.

Elizabeth watched her aunt for a moment, concerned that her aunt was upset about something. Something just didn't seem right. She shoved the feeling aside for the moment and followed her aunt inside.

That afternoon, Abigail and Elizabeth were enjoying a sandwich after the lunch crowd had left the café. "This is delicious chicken salad, Abigail," Elizabeth commented. "I am so lucky to get to live here and enjoy your scrumptious food!" Abigail smiled her thanks as she set her sandwich down on her plate. "Where's your aunt?" Abigail asked. Elizabeth motioned upstairs, "She was reading upstairs and fell asleep. I think last night's celebration really exhausted her. I didn't want to wake her. I'm sure she'll wake up soon and we'll be sure to keep a sandwich for her."

Abigail nodded her agreement. "I think we all could probably use a nap." Elizabeth smiled her agreement as she continued to enjoy her lunch.

Abigail set her sandwich down, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to discuss a subject she'd been unsure how to broach with Elizabeth. "Uh, Elizabeth," she began a bit faltering. She cleared her throat before continuing. "There's something I've been wanting to talk with you about but I haven't been sure how to bring it up." Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "What is it?"

"Well... I'm wondering about your aunt, how long she's going to stay here. Now, I'm not saying that I want her to leave. Certainly not! She is such a lovely lady! But, I am wondering if perhaps there's another reason she's here. Perhaps there's something she hasn't told you." She looked up to see Elizabeth's reaction.

Elizabeth nodded. "No, I know. I've been wondering since she arrived if there's more to her visit here than just a stopover before heading on to Melanie's. She doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get to there. And I could swear I've heard here crying during the night."

"Yes," Abigail concurred. "And, also, has she sent a letter or telegram to your uncle?" Elizabeth's eyes flashed. "No, she hasn't. I hadn't even thought of that!" Abigail nodded. "I'm surprised she hasn't contacted her husband since she's been here two weeks now. I just have a feeling that something is not right."

"I can't imagine what's going on. She and Uncle Charles have always been very close. When I was growing up, he was always bringing her gifts and flowers," Elizabeth explained. "She told me she's been on an extended trip. She's been away from home for several weeks it seems. I don't know why she's been away so long. I mean..." Elizabeth stopped as a horrible thought entered her mind. She gasped. "Oh my goodness! You don't think... I mean... You don't suppose that she's heading west for a divorce?!" She whispered the last word.

"No, no, Elizabeth," Abigail reassured. "Of course not! Don't go jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure what it might be, but I do believe your aunt might be staying here to avoid something or someone."

"I don't think that telegram was from my cousin. She keeps reading it over and over. She was reading it in bed last night and I caught a glimpse of it as I walked passed. It looked like the sender's address was New York," Elizabeth shared.

They fell silent for a moment as they considered the situation. Then, Abigail spoke, "Elizabeth, why don't you send a telegram to your mother telling her about your aunt's visit? You could tell her about her recent illness, too. Perhaps your mother could shed some light on things." Elizabeth nodded. "That's sounds like a great idea! Aunt Olivia and Mother are very close."

The two women continued their lunch in silence, considering their plan. "Maybe you shouldn't mention our suspicions," Abigail instructed. "We don't want to worry your mother." "No," Elizabeth agreed. "I'll just tell her about Aunt Olivia visiting me." Then, Elizabeth smiled. "Let me finish this delicious sandwich and then I'll head to the Mercantile. I just hope we can find out what is bothering her." She and Abigail exchanged worried looks again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

_"Kindness is the language_

_the blind can see and the deaf can hear."_

_~Helen Keller_

On Saturday evening, Abigail and Olivia were strolling back to the cafe after watching the "Coal Valley Follies" presented by Rosemary and Mrs. Ramsay. "Well, that was an interesting production," Abigail remarked. She looked sideways at Olivia and they both started to laugh. "That's one way to describe it," Olivia said around a laugh.

"The musical selections were good," Olivia observed. "Yes, they were the best parts," Abigail agreed. "But, what were all those recitations?" she asked.

Olivia shook her head. "Well, it's very popular for people to recite poems at garden parties," Olivia informed Abigail. "However, poetry recitation may be a little too highbrow for Coal Valley."

"People didn't seem to care for them very much," Abigail concurred. "Gabe tried so hard but seemed a little lost in 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.' Poor young man! On the other hand, Cat did an excellent job accompanying Rachel."

Olivia nodded. "And I especially enjoyed that little Irish girl and her mother singing the lullaby. They were so sweet! Tell me their names again."

"Rosaleen and Molly Sullivan. That was wonderful!" Abigail agreed.

The women climbed the stairs and entered the cafe. "Would you care for some tea, Olivia?" Abigail asked. "Tea sounds divine," Olivia gushed. Abigail smiled and began preparing the tea.

Olivia looked back at the door to the cafe. "How long do you think Elizabeth will be?" Abigail grabbed some cups and saucers from a shelf. "She shouldn't be long. She wanted to compliment her students on their excellent work in the Follies." Olivia nodded. "The children worked so hard. Though, Rosemary didn't seem quite satisfied with the production," Olivia observed.

"She didn't seem to be smiling as much as usual," Abigail agreed. Olivia observed, "Well, Jack's out of town. So, that has to put a kink in her plan to make me think he's seeing her behind Elizabeth's back." Abigail smiled and shook her head.

"I wonder if there's any way we could get that girl to leave town?" Olivia asked Abigail. Abigail spun around to face Olivia. "Short of forcing her on the stagecoach? It would be nice if she would leave, but for some strange reason she seems to want to stay here." She sighed as she turned back to making the tea.

Olivia mumbled, "Hmmm... it is strange..." as she turned to the table and settled into a chair. She sat quietly for a few minutes as Abigail worked on their tea. Abigail set the table with the cups and saucers, a small pitcher of milk, the sugar bowl, and then the teapot.

"So, Olivia," Abigail began as she slid into a chair across from her. "Do you think you'll be heading to your daughter's home soon?" Olivia looked up and frowned at Abigail's question. Noting her frown, Abigail quickly explained, "Oh, please don't think I'm trying to rush you out of here. Absolutely not! You are welcome as long as you'd like to stay. But, we will have to plan a farewell dinner for you when you do decide to head on to see your daughter and her family."

Olivia's frown faded somewhat but she did not smile. "I'm really not sure," she replied. "Do you think the tea is ready?" she asked as she reached for the teapot.

Abigail, surprised by Olivia's reaction, answered after a moment, "Ummm...yes, I think it is."

Olivia poured a cup for herself then poured one for Abigail. She prepared her tea with milk and sugar before taking a sip. "This is just what I needed!" she exclaimed, smiling at Abigail. Abigail smiled back as she studied Olivia, perplexed. Something was most definitely not right, she feared.

* * *

><p>Just a little note of thanks: I want to take a moment and thank you so much for reading! I especially want to thank everyone who has so kindly sent the very lovely reviews! Some parts of this story were so easy to write- they almost wrote themselves! The court scenes, however, were a bit scary to write. I realized that if I wanted to tell the other stories, then I was going to have to tackle the court case. So, that court ruling in Chapter 25 is just something I saw as a possibility and, actually, it turned out to be more fun to write than I'd imagined it would! Again, thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement. I hope you'll keep reading!<p> 


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

_"The best laid plans of mice and men_

_often go astray..."_

_~Robert Burns_

A couple of days later, Olivia was sitting on the café porch. She appeared to be reading a book but every minute or so she'd look up to scan the road, as if she was looking for someone. After several minutes, Rosemary rounded the corner, reading a piece of paper. Olivia set her book on the bench, hurried down the stairs from the porch, and approached Rosemary.

"Miss Leveaux?" she called, smiling. Startled by Olivia, Rosemary stumbled into one of the deep puddles left by the recent storms and nearly fell. "Oh my goodness, dear! Are you alright?" Olivia quickly asked her.

Rosemary righted herself and was dismayed to see the hem of her pantaloons and her favorite boots were covered in mud. She looked up at Olivia and summoned her best acting skills. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied cheerily though she was shaking her leg vigorously, attempting to fling off the mud.

Olivia smiled. "Well, good! I was just looking for you. I was wondering if I might treat you to dinner?" Olivia asked.

Rosemary was absolutely shocked. "I'm sorry… you want to have dinner with me?" Olivia nodded.

Rosemary was confused. "It's not quite four-thirty. It's a little early for dinner, isn't it?" "Oh, are you not hungry?" Olivia asked.

Rosemary considered the offer for just a moment before deciding to accept. "Mrs. Thatcher, I think it would be lovely to have dinner with you," she replied as she once again effortlessly became the consummate actress.

Olivia smiled and motioned towards the saloon. "I thought we could try the saloon. I haven't had their chili yet and have heard good things about it."

"Really?" Rosemary spat out as her lip curled. She momentarily dropped her smooth actress persona, but not for long. She pulled her mouth into a well-practiced smile and intoned, "Well, of course, we could enjoy some chili."

They headed to the saloon, which was still quiet as school had been dismissed over an hour ago and most of the miners were still at work, and sat at a table. When Mr. Trevoy approached their table, Olivia asked him to bring them chili, cornbread, and tea.

Rosemary was carefully straightening the pleats in her pantaloons as Olivia began the conversation. "So," she said, setting her purse in her lap, "I understand you came here from New York City. Did you appear in any productions there?"

Rosemary's mouth stretched into a wide smile. "Why, yes, as a matter of fact I starred in several productions," she bragged.

Olivia nodded. "I see. You enjoyed the city?"

"Oh my goodness, yes!" Rosemary gushed. "There was always something happening somewhere. There were such wonderful sights to see! And the productions were wonderful! The costumes, the music, the audiences! There truly is never a dull moment there, you know!"

Olivia smiled and nodded. "I assume you didn't have any trouble getting jobs in the shows."

Rosemary shook her head emphatically. "Oh, heavens no! The directors all told me how impressed they were with my talent. They told me I was destined to be a star of the Great White Way!" Rosemary smiled as she stared off into space, as though remembering her good times in New York.

"Well, then, I cannot imagine why you would give up such a promising career to come here to Coal Valley," Olivia remarked, a questioning look on her face.

Rosemary's smile faded and she turned to Olivia. "Well," she began, a bit flustered, "I missed home... and friends. And I'd hoped to renew an old... friendship. Of course, I've been happy to find new friendships here in a Coal Valley."

At that moment, Trevoy approached the table, bringing their dinner. The ladies ate quietly for several minutes. Finally, Olivia broke the silence. "When did you leave New York?"

Rosemary looked across the table at Olivia. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm just wondering if we were there at the same time. I visited some friends in New York about 2 months ago before coming out West. It seems we've had similar journeys," Olivia explained.

"Oh... well, I guess I arrived in Coal Valley about a month or so ago," Rosemary answered.

Olivia smiled. "So, we may have been in New York at the same time. Isn't that interesting?"

Rosemary took a bite of cornbread, ignoring Olivia's question. Olivia studied her for a moment before speaking again. "You know, I have a dear friend in New York. In fact, she is who I visited. She wrote me recently about something terrible that happened there. I wonder if you might be able to tell me more about it. It sounded like a really intriguing scandal."

Rosemary dropped her spoon into her chili bowl and flashed a look of anger at Olivia, before quickly regaining her composure. "Scandal? I'm sure I don't know anything about any scandals."

Olivia continued, not skipping a beat. "Well, I'm surprised you didn't hear about it since it was a scandal in the show business community. You see, my friend wrote that there was this producer who ran away with all the funds for his production. They believe he headed to South America. Or maybe it was Spain." Olivia hesitated for a moment, trying to remember. "Oh well, he left the country with all that money!"

Rosemary looked down at her chili, her face tight. Noting Rosemary's reaction, Olivia continued. "Apparently, he stole quite a bit of money from the show's investors. Everyone was terribly upset."

Rosemary didn't move a muscle as she continued to stare at her chili.

Olivia carried on. "My friend also wrote about a nasty rumor that the leading lady of the production was involved in some sort of... well... let's just say she was involved with the producer and she left town shortly after he did. People are speculating that she helped the producer steal the money and left town to join him." She looked at Rosemary. "You don't know anything about that, do you?"

Rosemary closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Olivia patiently watched her before asking, "Are you alright, dear?" Rosemary did not respond.

"Does any of this sound familiar?" Olivia continued. "Perhaps you knew the actress? I understand that the show business community in New York is very close-knit. My friend always said everyone knows everyone in show business. I dare say, a scandal such as this would've made that actress run as far away from New York as she could."

Finally, Rosemary opened her eyes but didn't look up. In a low voice, she told Olivia, "I didn't steal any money. And I didn't help him steal it, either."

Olivia nodded. "And Coal Valley is the perfect place to hide, isn't it?" she asked.

Rosemary met Olivia's gaze, fire flaring from her eyes. "If you must know, I just… " She stopped as her face flushed red. She pushed her chair back, slammed her napkin on the table, and took at step, as if she was going to run away. She stopped suddenly when she realized that Trevoy, the mayor and two miners standing at the bar were staring at her. She sighed deeply and turned around, slowly lowering herself back into her chair. She seemed to struggle for words momentarily. Finally, she said, "People were talking. I had to get away from all that."

Olivia repeated her question, this time in a very low voice. "Is this the perfect place to hide?" Rosemary answered with one nod of her head and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"Are you happy hiding here?" Olivia asked.

Rosemary looked up and answered, defensively, "I'm starting a drama society. I'm helping aspiring actors and actresses develop their talent. And my music provides some class to this saloon in the evenings."

"Yes," Olivia agreed. "But is it as fulfilling and exciting as when you were starring in plays and musicals in New York?"

Rosemary did not answer the question. Instead, she just stared at Olivia, furious that Olivia now knew her secret.

Olivia answered the question for her. "No, I imagine it isn't. So why on earth would you hang around here?"

Rosemary continued to stare coldly at Olivia.

"You mentioned an old friendship. Is that why you're staying here?" Olivia queried pointedly.

Rosemary perked up a bit. "Well," she began. "I had been told that the friendship was over. But, I believe he might indeed be interested in renewing our friendship..." She trailed off, dramatically.

This time Olivia's eyes flared. "Well, now that's interesting." Rosemary met Olivia's gaze. Neither women blinked. Olivia inhaled and went straight to the point. "Let's be honest here. You've been doing your best to make me think Jack is carrying on with you behind my niece's back. What do hope will happen? I'll make my niece come home with me? Why? Do you think with her gone, Jack will pay attention to you again?"

Rosemary narrowed her eyes, but didn't turn away.

"Sounds like a pretty desperate plan. And, Rosemary, you should never behave desperatelY. It doesn't suit you," Olivia instructed. Rosemary shook her head, incredulous at this turn of events.

"Now, let's see what we can do to get you out of this impossible situation," Olivia offered.

"Excuse me?!" Rosemary was flabbergasted. "After all this, you're going to pretend to help me?"

"Well, I'm sure you really want out of this sleepy little town. And I would certainly like to see you leave town, for the sake of my niece's happiness." Olivia leaned forward, her hands in her lap. "You want to continue your acting career, correct?"

Rosemary, her face still tight with anger, spat, "Of course."

Olivia continued, "Well, New York is the center of the acting world. However, there is another place where I hear that they are doing some interesting things in show business. Have you ever heard of Los Angeles, California?"

Rosemary's face softened, suddenly curious.

"They are starting to make films, motion pictures I think they call them, in Los Angeles. I read that some actors and actresses are leaving New York and heading west to California." Olivia stopped to ensure Rosemary was listening. She was, intently. "It might be an exciting place for an actress."

Rosemary considered what Olivia said, but then frowned. "I guess it might be. However, I'm sure it would be quite expensive to travel to California."

Olivia understood, "Yes, I imagine it might be. But, for someone who helped a producer steal..."

"I told you I did no such thing," Rosemary interjected, angrily. She quickly lowered her voice. "I thought he was a gentleman."

Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"He asked me to marry him," Rosemary explained, whispering. "I had no idea he was stealing from the production. He told me that he was traveling to Boston to try to raise more money. Then, when we went in for rehearsal the next day, the director told us all the money had been stolen. Later, another actress took great joy in telling me what people were saying about me. People were so cruel!" She hesitated for a moment and cleared her throat. "I decided it was time to leave."

Olivia nodded. "I see." Olivia didn't ask for any further explanation. Instead she changed the subject back. "Now, even though you may not have the money to head to California, remember that historically there have been patrons who are willing to fund artists." Rosemary looked at Olivia, confused. Olivia explained,"I have been a patron of the arts for years. I'm inclined to think that it would be a good investment to fund a young actress' journey from Coal Valley to California."

Rosemary's eyes widened with understanding. "But, why would you do that?" she asked, clearly not believing that Olivia was serious.

Olivia shook her head. "Try to keep up, dear. I told you I believe it would be best for my niece if you leave town. Now, it is customary for artists' patrons to pay their fare for journeys and give them some money for living expenses."

Rosemary's mind was reeling. She had resigned herself to staying in Coal Valley. And now, after a few bites of chili, she was about to embark on a grand adventure where she might be able to be a leading lady again. She was overwhelmed.

"I believe the stagecoach will be coming through here again on Thursday," Olivia explained. "That should give you a couple of days to get your things in order before you leave."

Rosemary suddenly became defiant. "What if I choose not to go?"

Olivia's smile faded. "Really, dear? I believed you to be much smarter than that. You know Jack is courting Elizabeth. And your acting career is going nowhere. I'm offering you a chance to continue your career in probably the only place you could continue it. You have to know that it is just a matter of time before news of what happened in New York catches up with you, wherever you are. So, why would you choose to stay?"

Rosemary shook her head. "You are an amazing woman, Mrs. Thatcher. Where ever did you learn to be so calculating?"

"Calculating?" Olivia asked, insulted. "Oh no, dear! I'm not calculating. I'm from New Orleans. We are very practical and resourceful people. And I love my niece."

Rosemary sat in silence for several moments as she studied her barely touched bowl of chili. "What will it be then, Miss Leveaux?" Olivia inquired.

"I really have no choice," Rosemary complained.

"Of course you do," Olivia countered. "You can either stay and face whatever happens here, knowing your acting career will remain stagnant. Or you can head to California and pursue your career. You, also, might very well find an opportunity there to repudiate the rumors from New York."

Rosemary considered this and then slowly answered, "I accept."

Olivia nodded as she wiped her mouth and placed her napkin on the table. "Good," she pronounced the matter closed. She opened her purse and set some money on the table for Trevoy. Then, looking back in her purse, she pulled out an envelope and set it in front of Rosemary. Rosemary stared down at the envelope.

Olivia stood as she told Rosemary, "That should cover your travel and initial living expenses. I expect to see you on that stagecoach on Thursday. Safe travels!" She turned and left the saloon.

As she was descending the stairs, she exhaled and relaxed a bit. She smiled, pleased with what had just transpired.

"Aunt Olivia! There you are!"

Olivia was startled by Elizabeth's call. She saw her niece approaching her from across the road.

"I've been looking for you!" Elizabeth told her aunt. Then, realizing Olivia was exiting the saloon, Elizabeth asked, "What were doing in there?"

"Oh, I'd heard about Mr. Trevoy's chili and cornbread and decided to try them myself," she answered as she looped her arm in Elizabeth's and led her towards Abigail's Cafe. She looked back over her shoulder, hoping to get Elizabeth away from the saloon before Rosemary exited.

Elizabeth's brow furrowed with confusion. "You tried the chili and cornbread?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," Olivia answered simply as they climbed the stairs to the cafe.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, you probably won't be hungry for Abigail's dinner, then," she mildly scolded her aunt.

"Hmmm... maybe," Olivia replied as she glanced over her shoulder and saw Rosemary leaving the saloon, the envelope in her hand. She smiled and followed Elizabeth into the cafe.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

_"Be truly glad! There is great joy ahead!"_

_1 Peter 1:6_

The next afternoon, Jack rode back into Coal Valley. There had been quite a bit of rain the last few days and Jack's clothes showed it: he had mud caked onto his boots and pants. He even had mud spots on his coat and hat. He headed straight to the saloon where he found Elizabeth by herself, sitting at her desk reading. He took off his hat and muddy coat, setting them on a table.

As he walked toward her, she looked up and her face broke into a huge smile. Her breath caught a bit, as usual, at the sight of his red serge jacket. Then, she reprimanded him, "Where have you been, Jack? I expected you back yesterday or the day before!"

Jack smiled and shook his head. "So did I! But the storms slowed me down a good bit," he explained as he crossed over to the table where she was. "But I got back here as soon as I could." He reached down and scooped her into a hug. Elizabeth sunk into his arms, pressing her face into his neck. "I missed you," she whispered.

Jack's smile widened. He pulled back enough to kiss her. They held their kiss for several seconds before Elizabeth gently broke it and slid back into his hug.

"Can I walk the teacher home?" he whispered in her ear. "Of course," Elizabeth replied as she slid from his arms and reached for her shawl.

After he helped her with her shawl, Jack took her hand in his and grabbed his jacket and hat with his other hand as they walked out of the saloon and on to Abigail's Cafe.

"So, other than the storms coming back, how was the trip?" Elizabeth asked. "It was fine," Jack answered. "Constable Brindle met us as planned in Lacombe."

"Has Bill heard anything about his new assignment?" Elizabeth asked. Jack shook his head. "No, he said he's been summoned to headquarters to find out." Elizabeth shook her head slowly. "Abigail won't really talk about it but I'm sure she's worried about where he'll be assigned. I hope it's not too far from here."

Jack cut his eyes at Elizabeth. "Are you playing matchmaker?" he asked. Elizabeth smiled at him. "I don't have to play matchmaker. I believe the match has already been made. I just want to make sure it stays made." Jack shook his head, smiling. "What?" she asked. He shook his head again. "Nothing," he claimed. "Abigail is my dear friend and I want her to be happy," Elizabeth offered, defensively. "I didn't say anything," Jack assured her, laughing. Elizabeth's mouth went into a small pout as she shook her head.

"So, anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Jack changed the subject as they ascended the stairs to the café. "Not really," Elizabeth answered. "Well, we did go to the Coal Valley Follies. The children did a great job."

Jack nodded. "And is your Aunt Olivia still here? Or has she headed on to her daughter's?" he asked as he opened the door to the café and she walked inside. Jack followed her.

"Jack," Olivia's voice rang out as soon they entered the cafe. "It's good to see you!"

Jack nodded to Olivia, "Thank you, ma'am. It's good to be home." He turned to smile at Elizabeth.

"Well, why don't we have some tea and you can tell us about your journey," Olivia offered. Jack quickly turned to Olivia. "Oh, thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I need to go get this mud cleaned off. Then, I need to see if there's anything that happened while I was gone that needs my attention."

"You'll join us for dinner, then?" Elizabeth asked, hopeful.

Jack smiled. "I'd love to!" He gave Elizabeth's hand a squeeze before releasing it. "I'll see you in a little while!"

Elizabeth nodded and watched him walk out of the cafe. At the door, he turned and winked at her before shutting the door behind him.

"That is a very nice young man." Olivia's comment shook Elizabeth from her thoughts. "And I do believe he is head over heels for you!"

Elizabeth blushed. "Aunt Olivia!"

Olivia raised her eyebrows in mock astonishment. "You know I've always called things as I see them. And I can see that boy cares about you very much."

Elizabeth smiled for a few moments before changing the subject. "Let's get some tea and have some of Abigail's yummy cookies!"

Olivia watched her niece walk into the kitchen. She said a silent prayer that her plan to get that conniving Rosemary out of Coal Valley would be successful. She sincerely hoped that Rosemary would indeed be on that stagecoach tomorrow.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

_"I like the dreams of the future _

_better than the history of the past."_

_~Thomas Jefferson_

The next morning, Jack was sitting at his desk typing a report. The door opened and Rosemary stepped in. "Can we talk for a moment?" she asked in a serious voice. Jack looked at her skeptically before finally nodding and telling her, "Okay."

She walked over and stood in front of his desk. She inhaled deeply and seemed to be gathering her courage. Jack watched her intently. He was very cautious around Rosemary, especially after her recent odd behavior.

"Jack," she said in a very dramatic, low voice, "I'm afraid my time in Coal Valley is coming to an end."

"What?" he asked as his eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the right, unsure whether to believe her or not. He knew very well how stubborn she was. She hadn't left town before when she told him she would. So, he had resigned himself to accepting her presence in Coal Valley but determined that her presence would not affect his relationship with Elizabeth.

"Yes, sadly, it is time for me to make my exit," Rosemary continued.

Jack was doubtful. "Uhh... where are you going?"

She folded her hands in front of her as she explained. "I'm heading back to America. I've recently heard of innovations being made in the show business industry in California."

"California?" Jack asked, surprised. Rosemary nodded with enthusiasm. "Oh yes, they are making motion pictures there. And I intend to be a part of those. I shall be on the stagecoach tomorrow."

"Well," Jack said as he stood up, "looks like you are off to pursue your dreams, once again." He took a couple of steps and then leaned against his desk.

Rosemary's face broke into a wide, affected smile. "Yes, I'm sure it will be a wonderful adventure!"

"Good luck, Rosemary. I hope this adventure turns out just as you hope." He offered her a lukewarm smile, still a bit doubtful that she would actually leave.

Rosemary's expression changed. Her smile faded and she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I thought my adventure would be with you, Jack," she said sadly.

Jack's face clouded over. He shook his head. "Rosemary, that was a lifetime ago. We were young and didn't know much about life. It would have never worked. You have much grander dreams than living on a prairie with no privy or in a one room shack in a small Indian village."

"And is that Elizabeth's dream?" she asked sarcastically.

The smile left Jack's face and he looked at her sternly. "Elizabeth and I have discussed some of the hardships of Mountie life." Rosemary shook her head and scoffed. "Rosemary," Jack spoke emphatically, "my future is here with Elizabeth. And you just said that your future is in California."

Rosemary didn't reply with a smart or cloying remark. She was quiet and just looked down at the floor. Jack then realized that something was indeed different now. He thought that she just might leave town this time. "You're really going this time?" He asked. She nodded but didn't look up. He noted she didn't really seem happy about her news. "Why California? Why don't you go back to New York?" he asked. "You've bragged about your success there."

Rosemary inhaled sharply and looked away to the side. "Oh, if only I could go there," she muttered sadly. "That door is closed, it seems."

Jack frowned, unsure what she meant but he decided against asking her any more questions. He didn't want to risk giving her a reason to not leave. He decided the less he said, the better.

They stood there in silence, which quickly grew awkward. Rosemary looked at him and briefly searched his face, finding it quite stoic. He did not make eye contact with her. She sighed and finally told him, "Goodbye, Jack." Then, she slowly walked to the door, and opened it to leave.

"I hope you find what you're looking for, Rosemary," Jack called after her, prompting her to turn around. "Good luck!" he added. She gave him a half smile and headed out the door.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

_"Tears are God's gift to us._

_Our holy water._

_They heal as they flow."_

_~Rita Schiano_

Abigail walked out of her bedroom, heading for the stairs, when she heard a small sound coming from Elizabeth's bedroom. The sound intrigued her, so she peeked in the open door. She saw Olivia there, seated on her bed, sobbing. Quickly, Abigail entered the room and crossed over to the bed. "Olivia, are you alright?" she asked as she patted Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia, startled, stopped crying and wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. "Abigail! Oh, no...no...I'm... I'm fine!" she stammered as she tried to compose herself.

Abigail sat down next to her. "You're not feeling ill again, are you?"

Olivia shook her head. "No."

Abigail studied Olivia's face. "Then, what is it?"

Olivia looked at her hands.

"Olivia, it's been my experience that when something seems so terrible, it helps to talk with someone. It doesn't seem quite so awful when you share the burden with someone," Abigail advised, with a reassuring smile. "I'm willing to listen whenever you feel like talking."

Olivia looked at Abigail plaintively, but didn't say anything.

"If you won't talk with me, there must be someone that you can talk to. Perhaps Elizabeth," Abigail suggested.

Olivia looked down and didn't say anything. Abigail sighed, stood up, and was about to leave the room when Olivia implored in a low voice, "Abigail..." Abigail stopped and turned back toward Olivia.

Olivia struggled for words momentarily. "I... I'm... I'm so afraid..."

A small gasp escaped from Abigail's mouth as she sat back down next to Olivia. "Why?"

Olivia closed her eyes and exhaled, summoning her courage. Finally, she whispered, "I'm afraid my marriage is over."

Abigail's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Oh, Olivia. Why do you think that?"

Olivia's lip quivered and her hands shook. Tears once again fell from her eyes as she explained, "Because Charles and I haven't spoken in months! The children moved out and then he left me all alone! He'd go to work early in the morning, barely stopping for breakfast. And then he didn't come home until late almost every night. We weren't even having meals together before I left." She stopped for a moment, wiping her nose with her handkerchief before continuing. "I couldn't stand it anymore! So, I decided to take an extended trip. I've been traveling for months now! Have I heard one word from him? No. Not a letter. Not a telegram. The man probably hasn't even noticed that I'm not home!" The words just poured out of Olivia, as though she'd been holding them back for quite awhile.

Abigail was momentarily speechless. She patted Olivia's hand as she searched for words. "Ah, Olivia," she began. "Are you sure it's that bad? Perhaps work is just terribly busy for him right now."

Olivia gave Abigail a skeptical look and then turned away, blowing her nose into her handkerchief as the tears fell down her cheeks. Abigail continued to struggle to find the right words. "Well, perhaps you should send him a telegram..." she began but was immediately cut off by Olivia. "Oh, no! I told you! He hasn't contacted me. The reason I took this trip was to see if he would actually miss me," she said angrily. Then, the sobs took over again. "He obviously hasn't." She stood and walked over toward the window. She leaned against the window frame as her shoulders shuddered with her sobs.

Abigail wants to console Olivia, but had no idea what she could say that would be helpful. Finally, she decided it might be best to keep Olivia talking. Also, she felt she needed to no more about Olivia and her husband's relationship before she could offer any kind of advice. After all, she'd never even met Charles. "Olivia, why don't you tell me about you and Charles?" Olivia swiveled around, frowning. "I mean, how did you two meet? You're from New Orleans, right? And he's from Toronto?"

Olivia wiped her eyes and inhaled slowly. "Oh, goodness, that was such a long time ago!" Abigail smiled warmly. "I'd love to hear it," she assured.

Olivia sighed and began, "Alright. Well, I was working in my father's office. He was a shipping agent in New Orleans. Charles came to town a couple of times a year for the company. You know, the one he runs with his brother, Elizabeth's father. Well, I was working for my father. He'd suggested I work in his office because... honestly, I think he and my mother had given up on me ever marrying. I was 23 years old and had run off every beau I ever had!" Olivia had stopped crying and was now focused on telling the story, which is what Abigail had hoped would happen.

"You ran them away?" Abigail asked around a laugh.

"They were all so boring or so overbearing! I couldn't abide any of them. My mother was so upset with me. So, I guess they decided to at least get me a salary so I could have some money as an old maid." Olivia laughed mirthlessly as she walked back to the bed and sat down. "I was working in my father's office when Charles came in. The first time I met him, he'd had a terrible trip from Canada and was in a foul mood. He was absolutely rude to me when I told him my father was out of the office. Of course, me being me, I told him exactly what I thought of his atrocious behavior. It seems no one had ever spoken to him the way I had. It surprised him and the next day he came back to ask me to go to dinner with him."

"Did you?" Abigail interrupted to ask.

"No," Olivia answered emphatically. "I told him I would never go to dinner with him. But, Charles doesn't take no for an answer. He kept asking. Every day for a week he asked me! Finally, I agreed just to get him to stop asking." She stopped for a moment, appearing to relish the memory. A smile began to curl the edge of her mouth. "By the end of our evening out, I realized that he was the only man who I had really enjoyed having a conversation with. He didn't act like I was a delicate flower that he had to protect. He treated me like a lady and respected what I had to say. He went from being a terrible annoyance to a suitor in that one evening."

"Sounds like quite an evening," Abigail observed.

Olivia smiled, continuing to enjoy her memories of that evening. "Hmmm... yes, it was."

"How long did you two court before he proposed marriage?" Abigail inquired.

"After two weeks, he had to go home. Before he left, he told me that he'd be back to ask for my hand. I thought he was crazy! But, he wrote me from Toronto and then came back to New Orleans a month later. We courted for two more weeks. He then asked my father for my hand, just as he said he would, and we married three months later."

"A whirlwind romance!" Abigail teased.

"Oh, goodness, no! Nothing like that!" Olivia disagreed. "But, it was very sweet and quite lovely." She continued to be caught up in her memories.

Abigail smiled. "Sounds like he loves you very much."

Olivia's smile quickly faded. "He did love me. I'm not so sure now."

"Olivia, I've never met Charles, but he sounds like a very good man," Abigail attempted to reassure Olivia.

Olivia shook her head. "He's changed," she whispered.

"I've heard that things between a husband and wife can change when their children move away from home and begin their adult lives," Abigail offered.

"They certainly do," Olivia spat out bitterly.

"Olivia, all I know is that talking is very important. Husbands and wives have to talk with each other about things. You need to tell Charles what is bothering you," Abigail advised.

Olivia shook her head. "Oh, I tried that. It didn't work! He was too busy to talk. And now," she hesitated as she stood and walked back over to the window. "Now, I've run out of places to go and people to visit. So, I'll have to go visit my daughter and her family in Victoria. But I'll only be able to stay there so long before she figures out that something is wrong. At that point, I'll have to decide whether to go home, to my lonely life with my absent husband or to stay with my daughter, estranged from my husband." She closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks and then her shoulders shook with sobs.

"Oh, Olivia!" Abigail soothed. "Surely you and Charles can work this out."

Olivia turned to Abigail, still crying. "If I go home, I'm accepting that I will be in a loveless marriage for the rest of my life. We'll continue to be two strangers sharing a house." She wiped her cheeks. "If I stay at my daughter's, then that should give some juicy gossip for all those biddy bodies in the Ladies' Society back home." She turned away from Abigail again.

Abigail stood and walked over to Olivia. "You are welcome to stay here with Elizabeth and I as long as you like."

Olivia turned to Abigail. "Oh, thank you!" Then she began sobbing again. Abigail patted her back, trying to calm her.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

_"Do not judge, and you will not be judged._

_Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned._

_Forgive, and you will be forgiven."_

_~Luke 6:37_

Elizabeth was in the Mercantile before school, shopping for supplies for her brownie baking lesson with Abigail later that day. She was checking the list of ingredients she needed to purchase when Mr. Yost called to her, "Miss Thatcher?"

She set the sugar she'd just picked up into her basket and headed to the front counter. "Yes?"

"I thought I saw you back there. Telegram for you," he stated as he handed her a small envelope.

"Thank you," she told Yost. She started to open the envelope, but stopped short as Rosemary entered the Mercantile.

"Oh, good morning, Elizabeth," Rosemary called brightly.

Elizabeth nodded and continued her shopping. "Hello, Rosemary," she replied civilly, slipping the telegram into her skirt pocket without reading it.

Rosemary stopped, facing Elizabeth. "This will probably be our last meeting," she announced.

Elizabeth turned back to Rosemary. Her eyes narrowed, not understanding. "Last meeting?"

Rosemary nodded. "Yes, I'm off to pursue my future in show business."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in shock before she recovered herself enough to say, "You're leaving?"

Rosemary nodded. "Yes. A wonderful opportunity has been offered to me."

Elizabeth stood frozen, incredulous. Rosemary turned to Mr. Yost. "I have a short list of items I need for my trip. Do you think you could gather them for me and I'll pick them up in about half an hour?"

Yost nodded. "Yes, of course, Miss Leveaux. I'll have them all together when you get back."

Rosemary smiled warmly at Yost and then turned back to Elizabeth. "I hope we can part on friendly terms," Rosemary offered, holding out her hand.

Elizabeth nodded. "Ummm... yes," she agreed as she reached for Rosemary's hand. They shook hands very briefly before Rosemary turned to leave. Just before she closed the door, she called back to Elizabeth, "Do take care of our Jack!"

Anger filled Elizabeth's expression when Rosemary's parting remark hit her. She watched her leave, shock and fury battling it out in her mind. She'd struggled for weeks trying to accept Rosemary's presence in Coal Valley. Now, she couldn't believe that Rosemary was actually going to leave. That last comment was hurtful but Elizabeth reminded her self that in a few hours, Rosemary would no longer be in Coal Valley. As that thought filled her mind, a smile pulled up at the corners of her mouth.

"Is there anything else, Miss Thatcher?" Yost asked, pulling her out of her reverie. Elizabeth blinked and then looked down in her basket. She realized she had a few more items to get before checking out. "I just need a few more things, Mr. Yost," she called as she headed to quickly finish her shopping.

"Abigail!" Elizabeth called as she entered the kitchen. "Abigail!"

Abigail walked in from the dining room, where she'd been setting tables.

Elizabeth started talking as soon as she spotted Abigail. "You are not going to believe this!"

"What is it?" Abigail prodded her to explain.

"I just ran into Rosemary at the Mercantile and she told me that she's leaving Coal Valley!" She stopped for a moment then added, "On today's stagecoach!"

Abigail's face lit up in surprise. "Really? She's leaving?"

Elizabeth nodded and a big smile filled her face.

"That is amazing!" Abigail set down the silverware she'd been holding. "I wonder what made her decide to go? Perhaps it was the lukewarm response everyone gave her production last weekend..." she mused.

Elizabeth shook her head as she set down her basket of groceries. "I have no idea but I just can't believe she's actually going to leave. I just..." She trailed off as she started putting the groceries away. "I'm just amazed!"

"What are you amazed about?" Aunt Olivia inquired as she came down the stairs.

Elizabeth turned to face her aunt. "Oh! I thought you were still asleep. I hope I didn't wake you when I got up early."

"No, no," Olivia assured. "Now, what is all this amazement about?"

Elizabeth glanced at Abigail before answering. "I was just telling Abigail that Rosemary Leveaux, the actress in charge of last weekend's production, is leaving town today." Elizabeth's enthusiasm was more tempered, not wanting to have to explain the situation to her aunt.

"Oh, is she?" Aunt Olivia asked as she crossed the room to pick up a cup and then pour herself a cup of coffee from the large urn.

"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed, giving Abigail a knowing glance as she continued to put away groceries.

Aunt Olivia took a sip of her coffee. "I guess she decided she wanted more opportunities than were available here in Coal Valley," she offered.

Surprised by Olivia's comment, Abigail watched her as she slid into a chair at the table and set down her coffee cup.

"I guess so," Elizabeth agreed.

Olivia picked up her coffee cup and smiled before taking another sip. The smile was not lost on Abigail as she scrutinized Olivia. She wondered what Olivia knew of Rosemary's sudden departure. "Olivia, did you ever have the opportunity to speak with Rosemary?" she asked.

Olivia shifted uneasily in her chair. "Abigail, I enjoy attending plays and productions but I certainly do not socialize with actresses," she answered haughtily.

Abigail nodded but continued to eye Olivia suspiciously.

Olivia suddenly stood. "It's such a lovely day! I think I will take a stroll." She walked to the door, slipped on her shawl, and opened the door. "I'll be back in a little while," she called over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.

"Alright, Aunt Olivia! Enjoy your walk!" Elizabeth called after her aunt. She stood up and leaned against the cabinet. She was smiling, beaming. Abigail smiled, too, glad to see Elizabeth so happy. She headed back into the café to finish setting tables.

Elizabeth shook herself out of her reverie and followed Abigail. "Can I help you?"

Abigail shook her head. "Don't you need to get to school?" she asked as she turned back to finish setting the tables.

Elizabeth gasped and looked at the clock. "Yes, I do!" she cried and ran into the living room area to pick up her school basket. After she stepped back into the kitchen, she set the basket down on the table. She looked in the basket and couldn't find some notecards she'd made last night. Frustrated, she patted her skirt pockets and found the unopened telegram in one. "Oh," she breathed in surprise.

"What?" Abigail asked.

Elizabeth turned around and held up the telegram. "I was so stunned by Rosemary's announcement that I forgot about the telegram Mr. Yost gave me." She tore the envelope open and read the message, exhaling sharply when she had finished.

"What is it?" Abigail asked, concerned.

"It's from my mother. She said to please keep them informed of how Aunt Olivia is doing. Uncle Charles can't make the trip right now because work is too busy, so she's planning to come! But she swore me to secrecy. I'm not to tell Aunt Olivia anything." Elizabeth smiled with delight. "This might be a tough secret to keep. Mother is coming! I don't know when she'll arrive. But I can't wait for her to get here. Aunt Olivia will be so surprised!" Elizabeth reread the telegram in excitement.

Abigail sighed as she walked back into the kitchen. She moved to the stove and stirred a pot of soup, whispering to herself, "Oh my!" She remembered her conversation with Olivia earlier. "Oh my," she repeated sadly as she glanced back at a beaming Elizabeth.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

_"Every new beginning comes_

_from some other beginning's end."_

_~Seneca_

Later that day, the stagecoach pulled into town. Rosemary was standing in front of the Mercantile, her bag in hand, as it arrived. The stagecoach driver jumped off and asked her, "Are you traveling with us today, ma'am?"

Rosemary looked over at the jailhouse momentarily before turning back to the driver. "Yes, I am," she answered.

The driver took her bag and Rosemary climbed into the stagecoach. A couple was already sitting inside, so she sat on the seat opposite them.

As Rosemary settled in to her seat, she noticed that the couple were holding hands. She frowned. The last thing she wanted was to spend hours with a couple in love. She sighed, thinking to herself that this would be a long trip.

The woman interrupted Rosemary's thoughts as she greeted her, "Good day!" Rosemary smiled back, but didn't reply.

As the stagecoach started down the road, she spotted Olivia sitting on the bench outside Abigail's Cafe. Olivia waved as the stagecoach passed. Rosemary expelled an angry breath and did not wave back. She was still upset that Olivia had discovered her secret and then had practically run her out of town. She shook her head as she turned away from the window.

"Are you sad to be leaving?" the man asked.

Rosemary shook her head. "Actually, no. I am headed off on a great adventure." She looked out the window again and announced dramatically, "Goodbye, Coal Valley! Farewell!"

She looked back at the couple, offering them a wide smile. They smiled and turned back to their private conversation.

Rosemary looked out the window again and whispered, "Goodbye, Jack."

* * *

><p>Notes: Okay, Hearties, dare I say it? BOOM! She's gone! :) This was a short chapter-short, but sweet! ;)<p> 


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

_"We would never learn to be patient_

_if there were only joy in the world."_

_~Helen Keller_

The next day, Elizabeth was walking home after school and she met Aunt Olivia exiting the café.

"Elizabeth! How was school today, dear?" Olivia asked.

"It was a good day..."

"Good, good," Olivia interrupted, not allowing her niece to finish answering her query. "I'm going to take a stroll. I'll be back in a little while." She was already heading down the stairs and in the street when she finished explaining.

Elizabeth watched her aunt for a few moments before heading into the café. She spotted Abigail kneading some dough in the kitchen.

"Aunt Olivia is off on another walk," she told Abigail.

Abigail nodded. "Yes, I know."

"What are you making?" Elizabeth inquired.

Abigail continued to knead. "I thought I'd prepare some cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning."

Elizabeth smiled and her eyes twinkled. "Oh, cinnamon rolls! Delicious!" She grabbed a cookie from one of the cooling racks and sat down. "Why do you think Aunt Olivia keeps taking these long walks? Every day it's at least two long walks! Something must be worrying her. Do you have any idea?"

Abigail stopped kneading and stared down at the bowl. She had been wrestling with whether to tell Elizabeth what Olivia had shared with her. She finally made her decision and answered, "Actually, I know there's something worrying her."

Elizabeth stopped eating the cookie and frowned slightly as she looked up at Abigail.

"Elizabeth, in case you haven't noticed, your aunt is not happy. In fact, she has a great burden on her heart," Abigail disclosed.

Elizabeth frowned, dropping the cookie onto the table. "What burden?"

Abigail set the dough down into a large bowl and slid into the chair across from Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, she is afraid your uncle doesn't love her as he once did."

"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed in shock. "Why?!"

Abigail struggled to explain what she knew. "They have grown apart as the children have moved away. They are in that big house all by themselves and Olivia said that your uncle stays at work most of the time."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no... they have always been very close. Aunt Olivia and Uncle Charles? No," she protested. "Mother always talked about how romantic their courtship was and how Uncle Charles wouldn't leave New Orleans until she agreed to be his bride."

Abigail looked at Elizabeth, understanding that she didn't want to accept this.

"She told you that? That she's not happy with Uncle Charles?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Abigail answered. "I believe it is weighing on her heavily. She doesn't know what to do. Once she leaves here to visit her daughter, then she has a tough decision to make."

"Decision?" Elizabeth asked.

Abigail nodded. "Yes. She can't stay with her daughter's family forever without some type of explanation. So, she either has to go home, resolving herself to life as it was, which she found heartbreaking, or tell her daughter her concerns and then make her home there."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Oh, Abigail! Poor Aunt Olivia! I hate that she's having to deal with this. I wish she had talked with me."

"Elizabeth," Abigail explained, "she's your aunt. Aunts don't speak with their nieces of such matters."

Elizabeth looked down at the table, pondering the situation. Then, she looked up and Abigail and exclaimed, "Wait! Mother said Uncle Charles was too busy with work to come out here!" She'd suddenly remembered her mother's telegram. Her face filled with sadness. "And mother is coming, instead." She had been so excited about seeing her mother but now that was tempered by her worry for Aunt Olivia.

"I know," Abigail agreed. "I'd hoped your uncle might come here and relieve all of Olivia's concerns, but it seems that is not hoping to happen." She watched Elizabeth, who now seemed very sad. "I just can't believe this is happening to Uncle Charles and Aunt Olivia. Julie and I always thought of their marriage as being so romantic, so loving, so..." she sighed, as tears began to pool in her eyes, "so ideal."

"There are no ideal relationships," Abigail gently corrected Elizabeth. "The relationship between a man and woman can be quite complicated, as you well know."

Elizabeth nodded and then studied the table for a couple moments before looking back up at Abigail. "Well, I'm just going to pray very hard that this all works out for them. Maybe when she gets here, Mother will have some ideas about how we can help them."

"Praying is always a good idea," Abigail agreed as she stepped back over to continue making the cinnamon rolls.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36 **

_"Many men go fishing all of their lives_

_ without knowing _

_that it is not fish they are after."_

_~Henry David Thoreau_

Later that day, Jack walked into the saloon. "Constable!" Trevoy called as he spotted Jack. "What can I do you for this evening?" he asked brightly.

"Thanks, Tom, but I'm just looking for Dewitt Graves. Has he made it back from the mine, yet?" Jack inquired.

Trevoy nodded. "As a matter of fact, he was the first miner back to clean up this evening. He's up in his room. Think he's getting ready to head out to the Dunbars' place, again." He glanced up to be sure Graves wasn't coming down the stairs. Then, he lowered his voice and added, "You know he's been having dinner with them almost everyday."

Jack smiled and chuckled at the barkeep's gossip. "Okay, Tom." He crossed over and set his hat down in the bar. "How about some coffee while I wait for him?"

"Coming right up," Trevoy cheerily replied as he went about preparing Jack's coffee.

Jack glanced up the stairs every so often, hoping to spot Graves. He was on a mission to borrow Graves' fly fishing rod. Earlier, as he was returning from his morning rounds, he'd spotted Elizabeth outside with her students at recess. She was standing on the saloon porch watching them play, so he seized the opportunity to discuss what she might like to do tomorrow. He was shocked when she told him she'd enjoy going fishing with him. Truth be told, he was still shocked. She'd admitted that she'd never been fishing before but she'd really like to learn. So, since Jack owned only one rod, he was now seeking to borrow Graves' rod.

Just as Trevoy set the coffee cup in front of Jack, Graves started down the stairs. "Jack, how's it going?" he called when he got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Good," Jack answered. "How are things with you?" Graves walked across the saloon to the bar and the two men shook hands. "Things are good," Graves replied with a smile.

"Another dinner with Mary Dunbar?" Trevoy asked in a teasing voice.

Graves cut his eyes at Trevoy. "Now, Tom, don't be jealous. I'm sure we can find a widow for you!" Graves teased.

"No, thank you!" Trevoy exclaimed as he turned and walked to the other end of the bar. Jack and Graves laughed at the bartender's sharp reply.

Jack's laugh faded and he turned to Graves. "Dewitt, I'm a little hesitant to ask this, but..."

Graves looked very seriously at Jack. "What is it?"

"Well... could I borrow your fly rod? I hesitate because I know how some men are about their fishing gear. I just... well...," Jack fumbled over his words a bit. "... actually Miss Thatcher told me that she would like to learn to fish. I just have one rod so it would be best if I could borrow..."

"Say no more," Graves interrupted. "Of course, you can borrow it." He looked over to be sure that everyone else, including Trevoy, was out of earshot. He teased in a whisper, "Anything for the good cause of seeing you spending more time with Miss Thatcher!" Jack shook his head in embarrassment, turned away, and took a large drink from his coffee cup. Graves laughed. "Hold on. Let me just run up and get it."

Jack continued to drink his coffee as Graves went to get his fly rod. Trevoy walked back and spoke with Jack. "So, how are things?" Jack just nodded his reply.

Trevoy glanced down at the mayor holding court with two miners at the other end of the bar before turning back to Jack and asking, "So, it looks like Miss Thatcher's aunt is well on the mend. Will she be staying around Coal Valley for awhile? Or do you think she'll be heading back home soon?"

Jack studied Trevoy, knowing that he was fishing for information. Jack, also, realized that Elizabeth's aunt was now the subject of Coal Valley gossip. He considered his response carefully, knowing that it would likely be known around town by the morning. Finally, he answered, "She's doing better but she still has to build up her strength before she can travel. She and Elizabeth are enjoying their visit."

Thankfully, Graves returned with the rod at that moment, saving Jack from any more questions. "Here ya go, Jack. I trust you to take good care of it."

Jack took the rod from Graves. "Of course," he agreed. "I really appreciate this."

Graves laughed. "I know you do," he concurred. "Now, I have dinner waiting for me!" He smiled widely as he left the saloon.

Jack threw some money on the counter for his coffee, grabbed his hat, and quickly turned to leave before Trevoy could ask him any more questions. "Thanks for the coffee, Tom," he called over his shoulder as he followed Graves out the door.

The next day, Jack and Elizabeth were at the river, enjoying a lovely day. The cloudless sky was a beautiful cornflower blue. A light breeze rustled the bright green leaves on the trees along the banks of the river. Elizabeth stood on the bank next to Jack, watching as he tied another fly to her rod's line. She'd managed to get the first fly tangled beyond all hope of being removed from a tree branch. As he cut the line, Jack had assured her that he had done the same thing many times, especially when his father was first teaching him to fish. Nonetheless, she was flustered with herself.

Elizabeth was dressed as appropriately as she could for the activity after seeking Abigail's advice. She'd impulsively told Jack yesterday that she wanted to learn to fish. She wanted to do activities he enjoyed and thought she'd prefer fishing much more that hunting. Later, to her dismay, she realized that she had no appropriate fishing outfits. Abigail let her borrow a plain skirt and cotton blouse. She, also, was wearing a pair of Abigail's low heeled boots. Her toes were starting to hurt as the boots were a little small, but it was the best she could do.

"Did you tie these yourself, Jack?" she asked, smiling as she watched him work on the fly. Jack nodded, continuing to focus on getting the fly just right on the line. "Actually, these are called nymphs."

"Nymphs?" Elizabeth asked.

Jack finished with the line and stood up. "Yes, a nymph. You know, as in a beautiful young woman." He looked at her, his eyes twinkling as he teased her.

Her eyes widened, understanding his reference, and she blushed. "Jack!" she mildly reprimanded him.

He laughed and moved towards her. "Okay, let's try this again," he instructed. He handed her the rod and moved behind her, placing his hands on her arms. Elizabeth smiled, enjoying him being so close.

Jack continued his instruction. "Now, put your hand down here," he told her as he pointed down at the bottom of the rod, near the reel. She moved her hand as instructed. Jack continued, "Okay, be sure you're not holding the line." He checked her grasp of the rod again. "Now, point the tip of the rod downward a bit." He pushed her right arm forward and the rod tip dipped.

Elizabeth was smiling, savoring every one of Jack's directions. He was bending over her slightly now, with his mouth next to her head. Unconsciously, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Okay, you're going to pull the rod back. Hold it as straight as you can. Wait a second, then quickly swing it forward. Be sure to keep it as straight as you can. Try not to pull it up or down. Are you ready to try it?" Elizabeth nodded, feeling mesmerized by his voice. "Okay," he told her, continuing to whisper. "Ready?" She nodded. "Go!"

She did as he instructed, or at least she thought she had. The line again made a snapping sound, which he'd told her before was not good. "Pull it back again..." He ordered. "Now forward... gently..." She, again, did as told. "Good! That was pretty good!" he told her. Then, he stepped back from her and she instantly felt his absence. He moved to pick up Graves' rod, as Elizabeth was using his. "Okay, now just keep the line as still as you can. The nymph will sink a bit toward the bottom and hopefully attract an unsuspecting trout."

Elizabeth's face tightened as she concentrated on doing as Jack had instructed. "Is this right? I just hold it still?" she asked.

Jack was now walking several feet upstream from her. He looked over and watched her as she stood, rather awkwardly. She held the rod a good distance from her, as though it were a snake ready to bite her. Elizabeth was certainly not a natural fisher woman, but he admired her willingness to attempt it. "That's great," he encouraged.

Jack reached back and cast his line which flew to just the spot he'd picked. The rod felt a bit odd in his grip, as it wasn't his, but he settled in to wait for a bite. He didn't have to wait long.

"Oh! Goodness!" Elizabeth cried. "Jack?" she called concerned.

He looked over and realized that Elizabeth had a fish pulling on her line. He quickly reeled in his line, set his rod up on the bank, and raced to her side.

"Jack!" she called, again, just as he arrived next to her. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do!" She was now holding onto the rod like her life depended on it.

"Okay, okay," he soothed as he assumed his previous position behind her. "Ease your grip a bit..." He felt her relax as soon as his hands touched her arms. "Now, smoothly raise the tip." He pulled on her right forearm and she followed suit by pulling up on the rod. "Whoah! Slowly... slowly," he instructed, pushing down slightly on her right arm. She stopped pulling and waited. "Okay, pull on the line," he told her as he tapped her left arm. "We need to make sure the hook is set in its mouth."

Elizabeth frowned a bit as the imagery of the hooked fish disgusted her, but she did as directed. "Now, just keep pulling the line in as you slowly lift the rod." She felt terribly awkward doing it, but she managed to follow his instructions. However, she almost dropped the rod when the fish leaped out of the water towards her. She fell back into Jack's arms. "Whoah," he exclaimed, startled, and stopped her fall. "Okay, okay..." he tried to calm her as she was breathing hard. "It's just eager to jump into your arms," he laughed. "Just like you're eager to jump into mine."

The teasing brought her back to her senses. "Jack!" she chided him as she stood up straight. "What do I do now?"

He continued to laugh. "Just keep pulling that line in. It doesn't look like he's going anywhere but onto our plates!" He started to back away from her.

Elizabeth felt him pull away. "Wait! Where are you going? Don't leave me alone with this thing!"

Jack laughed louder. "I'm just getting the net," he told her as he grabbed the fishing net next to his creel.

She continued to work hard to bring in the line with the fish attached to it. Jack moved alongside her. "Just a little bit more," he encouraged as he moved the fishing net over the water. Then, as the fish leapt once again, he caught it in the net. He pulled the net closer and studied the fish. "That's a nice size trout, Elizabeth! You did a great job!" He turned to show her the fish, but saw that she was no longing standing beside him. She had collapsed against the grassy back, the rod laying in her lap, and her eyes closed.

Immediately concerned, he took a step towards her. "Elizabeth! Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes. "Yes," she told him as she attempted to straighten her hair. "That fish jumping at me again just... well, it just startled me." Jack held the net in one hand as he helped her back to her feet with his other.

She leaned over and looked into the net. "So, that's what I caught?" she asked.

Jack nodded, "Yes. That's a pretty good size trout."

She continued studying it, then pronounced, "He's kind of pretty."

Jack laughed. "I guess he is. Let's just hope he's kind of yummy, too!"

Elizabeth's laughed with him. "True. Taste before beauty, I suppose."

Jack removed the hook from the trout and placed it in the creel. He turned and looked up at her. "Nah, beauty before everything," he assured her. She blushed as he stood and walked toward her. "Congratulations," he complimented as he embraced her. "You are now an accomplished fisher woman!"

She smiled and met his gaze. "Thank you." He leaned in and they kissed. After a few moments, Jack drew back and told her in a soft voice, "I better catch a fish to match yours so we'll have a nice lunch."

She pursed her lips in a mild pout. "Oh, you think you can catch a fish as big as mine?" she goaded.

His eyebrows arched in amusement. "Watch me, Miss Thatcher." He slid out of her arms and picked up his rod. As he headed to the water's edge, she settled back onto the grassy bank.

Later, they were sitting on a blanket beside a campfire with the remnants of their lunch around them. Elizabeth rested against Jack as his arm circled her shoulders. As they watched the flames of the fire, Elizabeth smiled. She'd immensely enjoyed watching Jack instruct her how to cook the fish they'd caught "Mountie Style," as he called it. She really couldn't remember his cooking instructions, but she had certainly delighted in watching him cook.

"Did you like the fish?" he asked, pulling her out of her reverie.

"It was delicious," she complimented. "I think it was the best fish I've ever had." She thought for a moment before adding, "And I was just excited to eat a fish I'd actually caught myself."

Jack laughed. "So, you enjoyed fishing?"

"I did," she enthused. "It was a bit scary when that fish was jumping at me. But, it was quite satisfying to know that I caught it."

Jack nodded against the top of her head and silence descended on them, again, for a couple of minutes.

"It is so beautiful out here," Elizabeth observed, breaking the silence. "It's so peaceful."

"I've always thought that's the best part of fishing and hunting," Jack agreed, "getting out in the woods, seeing nature. I feel so much better after I've spent some time in the woods, just being quiet and enjoying God's creation."

"'In wilderness is the preservation of the world'," Elizabeth mused.

A questioning look crossed Jack's face. "Hmmmm?"

"Thoreau, he wrote about the solitude and inspiration of nature," she explained. Jack once again nodded against her head. "You like the solitude?" she asked.

"Being quiet and listening is good," he acknowledged.

"And being alone in nature?" she questioned. "You like that?"

Jack realized what she was really asking him. "Yeah, I guess. But this is better," he replied and kissed the top of her head. She responded by nuzzling against him.

They sat quietly for a couple more minutes. Then, Jack noticed the shadows were getting longer and the air, a little cooler. His smile faded a bit. He didn't want this afternoon to end but they would have to get back to town. Finally, he disturbed the quiet they'd been sharing. "It's getting late. Guess we're going to have to head back soon."

Elizabeth sighed and her smile faded, too. She realized she was going to have to broach the subject she'd been avoiding all day. She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "Jack, there's something I need to tell you."

His eyes narrowed a bit with curiosity. "What's that?"

She took a deep breath. "My mother is coming."

His eyes widened and the smile completely melted from his face, replaced by a look of anxiety. "Your mother is coming?" he repeated, as a question.

Elizabeth slid away and looked up at him. "Yes, she's coming for Aunt Olivia."

He didn't understand. "Why? I thought she was heading on to her daughter's place?"

"Well, it seems things are more complicated than that," Elizabeth answered.

"Complicated?" He still didn't understand.

Elizabeth nodded. "It seems she and my uncle are having some problems."

Jack shook his head, still not quite grasping the situation. "What kind of problems?"

Elizabeth looked away and sighed. Then, she whispered, "Marital problems."

Jack's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"But they'll work it out," Elizabeth assured. "They are the most romantic, in love couple that I know. They always have been. So, I have no doubt that they'll work this out. They will!" Then, she said in a low voice, "They have to."

Jack caught that Elizabeth was quite disturbed by the trouble in her aunt's marriage. He reached over and cupped her chin, turning her to face him. "I'm sure they will," he agreed. She gave him a half smile of gratitude. He kissed her forehead and then he slid her head under his chin as he held her. He traced circles on her shoulder with his hand, soothing her.

After a minute, his eyes popped open. "Your mother is really coming?"

Elizabeth's eyes opened, too. "Yes," she mumbled into his chest.

They sat there holding each other, both wondering what Kate Thatcher's visit would bring.

* * *

><p>NotesDisclaimer: Thank you for reading! This is just my vision of where Season 2 may take us. It was a lot of fun to write- hope you enjoyed it, too! Please post a review if you have a minute! The Hallmark Channel/Crown Media, Believe Pictures, and Motion Picture Corporation of America own these characters (except for Aunt Olivia, Uncle Charles, and Will Burns- all of whom are products of my tangled imagination). I'm just playing with them for awhile and promise to return them relatively unscathed! Many thanks to Janette Oke, Michael Landon Jr., Brian Bird, Brad Krevoy, the entire cast and crew of When Calls the Heart, and all of the Hearties. Y'all rock


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

_"Everyone is a hero in their own story_

_if you only look."_

_~Maeve Binchy_

It was a beautiful Sunday morning as the congregation was gathered among the trees for Sunday service. They were singing "... and grace will lead me home," the last line of "Amazing Grace," as the service concluded.

"May God's blessings be on you and your families. Have a blessed week," Reverend Anderson shared as he dismissed them.

Everyone stood. Some lingered, enjoying fellowship time with friends, while others hurried on their way.

"I better start my rounds," Jack told Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded. "You'll be back for dinner?"

Jack smiled. "Of course." He kissed her on the cheek before he walked to his horse tied at the back of the log pews. Elizabeth watched him as he mounted his horse, gave her a nod, and headed away from the glen.

"Elizabeth?" Aunt Olivia called to get her attention. When her niece didn't respond, she called louder. "Elizabeth?!"

Elizabeth turned quickly to face her aunt, a bit embarrassed to be caught staring at Jack. "Yes ma'am? I'm sorry. What did you want?"

"It's such a nice morning! I think I'll take a long walk before heading back to the café. I'll be back in time to help you and Abigail prepare Sunday dinner." She gave Elizabeth an anemic smile before heading off for her walk.

Elizabeth watched her aunt walk away, her forehead furrowed with worry.

Abigail walked up next to Elizabeth and saw Olivia walking down the path into the woods. "Olivia's going for another walk?" she asked.

Elizabeth sighed, watching Olivia disappear around the curve. "Yes. Another walk." She and Abigail exchanged worried looks as they started walking back to the café. "I want to help her. She seems to be just getting sadder by the day," Elizabeth stated, her own voice quite sad.

"I know," Abigail agreed, "but there really isn't anything we can do but offer her support. And, of course, pray."

"I wish Mother would hurry up and get here!" Elizabeth declared in frustration.

They started walking back to town. "So, did you tell Jack about your mother's visit?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes." She sighed. "I'm afraid we're both nervous about Mother's visit."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Abigail reassured Elizabeth. "Jack is a good man. Your mother will see that."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Well, I guess worrying about it isn't going to do any good. And, as Jack pointed out last night, the stagecoach isn't due for a couple of days. So, we have a little time before Mother gets here. Nothing's going to happen today. So, let's just enjoy it."

Abigail smiled. "Absolutely. Now, there's a chicken at the café waiting to become our dinner. Let's not keep him waiting!"

That afternoon, Main Street wasn't as busy as it was during the week, but there were people taking Sunday walks, visiting friends, and heading to the saloon. Gabe Montgomery and some other schoolboys were heading out of town with their baseballs, bats, and mitts. As they were about to turn the corner to head out of town, a man riding a horse came hurtling around the corner and almost ran them over. The boys leapt out of the way, sports equipment falling to the dirt road. Gabe watched the horse gallop off down the street as people in its path jumped to safety. The man on the horse turned to the right and out of sight.

Gabe turned back to his buddies. "That man is crazy!" he announced to his friends, shaking his head.

"No kidding!" Caleb Dunbar agreed.

The boys picked up their equipment and started back on their way to the field for their game. However, before they could round the corner, once again the man on the horse came flying around it. The boys jumped out of the way, again. The horse came so close to Gabe that he had to leap up on the porch of the building they were passing.

"I'm so sorry, young men!" the man on the horse called back to the boys as he held tight to the reins. The horse was traveling faster than the first time it had come through town. Once again, the horse and the man took a right turn and out of sight.

Gabe jumped off the porch and walked over to pick up his mitt and baseball. As they headed on to the field, the boys were startled once again, but this time it was Jack rounding the corner. He stopped his horse to speak with the boys.

"Good afternoon, boys," he called to them. Then, noticing Gabe was carrying a ball and a mitt, he asked, "Heading to play a game of baseball?"

"Well, we were til this crazy man on a horse ran us down twice!" Gabe answered.

Jack's expression grew serious. "Crazy man on a horse?" he asked.

"Yeah! He was driving his horse awful fast!" Caleb confirmed.

"I'm not sure if he was driving the horse or if that horse was driving him!" James corrected.

"Here he comes again!" Caleb yelled, pointing down the road at the man and his horse rushing back into town.

The horse was indeed traveling way too fast. Jack managed to pulled his horse out of the way as the man and his runaway horse rounded the corner.

"I'm so sorry!" the man on the horse called back to Jack.

Jack watched as the horse rushed down the street, frowning. The horse again disappeared after turning to the right.

Jack turned back to Gabe and the boys. "You say he's been through here before?"

Gabe nodded. "Yeah. That was the third time!"

Jack nodded and thought for a moment before telling the boys, "All of you, get up on the porch and stay there until I tell you otherwise."

None of the boys questioned Jack's order. As the last boy finally made it on to the porch, Jack spotted the man and horse coming back towards them. It was clear the man was not controlling the horse. The horse was a runaway. Even from this distance, Jack could tell that the man was just barely staying in the saddle.

He studied the horse's approach carefully. Then, he gently guided his horse to the other side of the street. He turned, watched and waited, as did just about everyone else who was out on Main Street.

The horse rounded the corner to make its run down the street again. Jack responded by prodding his horse into a run. "Let's go, boy," he urged the horse. Then, he called to the man, "Mister! You need to sit back!"

Jack's call seemed to startle the man as he nearly fell out of the saddle. He was hanging around the horse's neck and was holding tight to the reins. After managing to right himself in saddle, he swiveled his head back and his eyes widened when he saw Jack approaching him.

"Sit back in the saddle!" Jack ordered.

The man nodded and did as instructed, scooting toward the back of the saddle.

Jack noted that this move had the effect he'd hoped it would: the horse slowed down, a bit. It didn't stop but its speed was obviously slowing. Jack was now gaining on the man and the runaway horse.

"Now," Jack yelled his next order. "Ease up on the reins. Don't pull on them so tightly!"

Once again the man nodded and Jack could see him ease his grip on the reins.

"Come on, boy! You can catch him!" Jack urged his horse. Jack's horse responded and quickly they were riding in tandem with the runaway horse and man. Jack coaxed his horse closer and reached out to grab the runaway horse's bridle. As he got hold of it, the man nearly fell off the horse, again, and yanked on the reins in an effort to stay in the saddle. That caused the runaway horse to lurch forward and Jack was almost pulled off his horse. With great effort, Jack managed to stay in his saddle and hold on to the other horse's bridle. He yelled back at the man, "Don't jerk the reins!"

The man loosened his grip on the reins a bit and grabbed the saddle horn with one hand, desperately trying to stay in the horse. Jack gently pulled on the bridle and slowed the horse down to a slow walk. By this time, they were out of town and halfway to the row houses. Jack turned both horses back toward town. He looked over at the man, noting that his head was down and his eyes were closed. "You okay, mister?" he asked, concerned.

The man didn't answer.

"Sir!" Jack called, alarmed that the man hadn't answered.

Finally, the man's eyes jerked open. "I'm sorry. What was that, young man?" the man asked.

"I just asked if you were alright," Jack told him as they approached the jailhouse.

"Yes, yes, of course. I am now!" the man answered.

Gabe and the boys were waiting in front of the jailhouse. "That was amazing! I've never seen anything like that before!" Gabe exclaimed.

Caleb asked Jack, "Did they teach you how to do that at the academy?"

Jack smiled at the boys. "Thank you. I think this gentleman could use some rest after the ride he just had. Maybe you boys should head on for your game."

The boys nodded and headed out of town, each of them occasionally looking back over his shoulder to check out Jack and the runaway horse rider.

Jack dismounted his horse and tied both horses to the rope between the posts at the jailhouse. He turned back to the man. "What happened?"

The man worked his way off the horse and on to the ground. His legs appeared quite unsteady. "I haven't been able to stop that horse since I got him in Didsbury," the man explained.

Jack was shocked. "Have you been riding that horse straight through from Didsbury?"

The man shook his head. "Oh, no. No," the man quickly answered. "No, I guess I should've said that I couldn't slow him down to stop."

"What? Well, how did you get him to stop?" Jack was intrigued.

The man exhaled. "Well... since he wouldn't slow down when I pulled on the reins, no matter how hard I pulled, the only thing I could think of to do was run him into a bush or hedge."

"Really?" Jack was incredulous. "You ran him into a bush?"

The man nodded as he walked slowly in a circle, his legs becoming steadier.

"Well, how did that work out for you?" Jack asked, though he was pretty sure of the answer.

"Not so good. I have the bruises and cuts to show for the past two days!" the man declared.

"Sir, have you ever ridden a horse before?" Jack asked.

"Yes," the man answered. "I was never a very good horseman, though. Truth be told, I never really cared for horses. My brother is much better than I. I'm afraid I tried the groom's patience when I was a boy."

"If you don't like horses, why would you get one to ride all the way from Didsbury?"Jack asked, clearly perplexed. "You can take the train to Lacombe and then the stagecoach. It's due to come through here in a couple of days."

The man shook his head emphatically. "No, the train broke down in Didsbury and I couldn't wait. I had to get here as fast as I could."

"Why?" Jack didn't understand.

"My wife is ill," the man answered matter-of-factly.

Jack looked around. "Where is she? Was she traveling with you?"

"Oh, no," the man quickly answered. "She's here."

"Where?" Jack asked. He felt like this man was talking in circles.

"Here," the man answered emphatically, "in Coal Valley."

"Oh," Jack was beginning to understand, but it was still not completely clear. "She's in Coal Valley? Why?"

"She came to visit my niece and became ill."

Jack was finally putting the puzzle pieces together. "Wait... are you Elizabeth's uncle?"

Charles looked sharply at Jack. "You know my niece?"

"Oh, yes, sir, I know her very well," Jack explained proudly.

Charles' eyebrows raised in question and Jack suddenly realized how that sounded. "We are good friends, sir," he quickly explained.

Charles nodded. "Okay, young man, then where can I find Elizabeth and my wife?"

Jack pointed toward Abigail's Cafe. "I'll be happy to show you to the café where they're staying. But, would you like me to carry your bag?" He motioned to the bag still hanging behind the saddle on the horse.

The man looked at the bag and nodded. "Okay. Yes, please."

As Jack unhooked the bag from the saddle, he looked back at Charles and told him, "We weren't expecting you, sir. Elizabeth's mother wrote that you couldn't make the trip but she was coming in your place."

Charles nodded, "Yes. I know."

Jack nodded and started walking toward the café. He still didn't quite understand this man. Charles fell in step behind Jack as they headed to Abigail's Cafe. "So, how ill is she?"

Jack looked back at Charles. "I'm sorry?"

Charles spoke again to clarify his question. "Elizabeth wrote to her mother that Olivia had been sick. Do you know how sick she is? What the doctor is saying?"

Jack frowned and considered his reply before speaking. Charles' arrival and his concern for his wife certainly didn't make sense after Elizabeth had told him her aunt and uncle were having marital problems. "Let's just get to the café and you'll see for yourself, sir."

Charles nodded and followed as Jack continued on to Abigail's. They climbed the stairs to the porch and Jack was reaching for the door when Charles grabbed his arm. "Wait!" Charles called to Jack. "I... uh... I just need a moment before we go in."

Jack stood back from the door and studied Charles.

"It's been a few months since I last saw Livy... Olivia," he explained to Jack.

Jack nodded, still having trouble making sense of this situation.

Charles took a couple of deep breaths and then finally told Jack, "Okay. I'm ready to go in, now."

Jack reached again for the door and pulled it open. He motioned for Charles to enter first. Charles swallowed hard and tentatively stepped through the doorway.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

_"A happy marriage is a long conversation_

_that always seems too short."_

_~Andre Maurios_

Inside Abigail's Cafe, Abigail and Elizabeth were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Olivia was sitting at the table in the kitchen, folding cloth napkins. As the door opened and Charles and Jack entered, Abigail looked up from where she was standing at the stove. Elizabeth peeked around the corner and gasped.

Hearing Elizabeth gasp, Olivia looked up from the napkins and saw the two women staring out into the dining room. She stood and walked around the table so she could see what they were watching. When she saw her husband standing in the dining room, she, too, gasped. "Charles Thatcher! What on earth are you doing here?"

Charles smiled at Olivia. "You're well!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad to see you aren't sick!"

"Charles, what are you doing here?" Olivia demanded.

Charles had started advancing toward Olivia. "I heard you were ill," he explained. "I got here as quickly as I could."

Olivia stared at him coldly. Charles slowed his steps toward her, confused by her coolness.

"I'm so glad to see you are feeling better," he placated as he stopped a few feet from her. He moved his arms awkwardly, as though he wanted to hug her but wasn't sure if he should.

Olivia continued to glare at him.

"Um... you are feeling better, aren't you, Livy?" he asked.

The use of his nickname for her seemed to ignite her. "Really? Why? Why are you so concerned? What does it matter to you whether I'm well or sick? I'm surprised you even noticed I wasn't at home!" she exploded as she stepped toward him.

Charles was shocked by her reaction. "Livy... what...?"

"Don't you Livy me!" she yelled and glared at him.

Abigail edged into the dining room. As she got Jack's attention, she motioned with her head to the door. Jack nodded and turned to Elizabeth, who was gaping at her aunt and uncle. Jack tried to get her attention, but she was totally engrossed in their exchange.

"Where have you been all these weeks? Months! Did you even notice I had left?!" Olivia roared as Charles just stared at her, dumbfounded.

Jack moved toward Elizabeth and took her hand, pulling her toward the door. Startled, she looked at Jack, questioning him with her eyes. He mouthed, "Let's go." She didn't move.

"I haven't heard one word from you in months!" Olivia yelled at Charles. "And you show up here, today, saying that you're concerned about me?"

Jack yanked Elizabeth's hand, pulling her through the dining room and out the door.

"Olivia, I only just found out…" Charles started to explain.

"Oh, wait... excuse me," Olivia berated. "My mistake, you did telegram once when I was in New York asking where you could find some of your suits. One telegram in, let's see, how long has it been now... 4 months!"

Abigail, Elizabeth, and Jack could still hear Olivia and Charles out on the porch of the café, even through the closed door. Abigail and Jack were clearly uncomfortable but Elizabeth was listening intently.

"Why don't we grab some tea at the saloon?" Abigail suggested. Jack nodded his agreement and pulled Elizabeth toward the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked as she stopped him, clearly wanting to stay and eavesdrop on her aunt and uncle's argument.

"To the saloon for some tea," Jack explained. Elizabeth didn't move. "Elizabeth, we need to give them some privacy," he reproved. Elizabeth was still hesitant. "They've been married awhile. They'll work this out," Jack assured her. "Now, let's leave them alone." Finally, she responded to his very serious tone and fell in step with him down the stairs and into the street, heading toward the saloon.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

_"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. _

_It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, _

_always perseveres."_

_~1 Corinthians 13: 6-7_

As Jack and Elizabeth entered the saloon, they were immediately accosted by Dottie Ramsay, "Constable Thornton, the way you caught that runaway horse was absolutely amazing!" she gushed. "We are lucky indeed to have you in a Coal Valley." She turned to Elizabeth and smiled.

Elizabeth saw Dottie's gaze drop slightly and it was then that Elizabeth realized that she and Jack were still holding hands. Dottie seemed quite pleased at seeing this. Elizabeth tried to wriggle her hand free from Jack's, though he refused to let go. Elizabeth's eyes widened and her mouth went into a straight line as she blushed. She cut her eyes sideways at Jack but he did not meet her gaze, as he continued to hold her hand firmly.

"Aren't we very lucky to have him here, Miss Thatcher?" Dottie asked, with a very smug look on her face.

Realizing what Dottie had just said, Elizabeth forgot her embarrassment and threw Jack a questioning look. "You stopped a runaway horse?"

"You bet he did!" Tom Trevoy joined the conversation. "Who was that man, Jack?"

Jack looked at Elizabeth, who was still confused. "Uhhh.. It was your uncle, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Uncle Charles was on a runaway horse?"

"Yeah," Wendell Backus chimed in. "He and that blamed horse went rarin' through town three, four times before the good constable here finally stopped 'em."

"Uncle Charles was on a horse?" she asked again, incredulous.

Jack nodded.

"But, Uncle Charles doesn't ride!" she exclaimed. "My father said he had a bad experience when they were boys. The closest I've ever seen Uncle Charles get to a horse was riding in a carriage. In fact, he was one of the first in the city to get a motorcar because he dislikes horses so much!"

"Well, I guess that might explain why the horse was a runaway," Abigail observed.

"Well done, Constable Thornton," Dottie Ramsay praised again, glancing again at Jack and Elizabeth's still clasped hands. Elizabeth once again grew uncomfortable under her gaze and, this time, she managed to free her hand from Jack's.

Jack, too, was clearly uncomfortable, not liking all the attention he was receiving. "Thank you, Mrs. Ramsay," he said as he placed his now empty hand on Elizabeth's elbow to guide her to a table. Mrs. Ramsay headed out of the saloon as Abigail followed Elizabeth and Jack to the table.

Trevoy slapped Jack on the shoulder. "What'll you have? Chili and cornbread? Whatever you want, it's on the house. That was quite a sight!"

"The ladies would like some tea and I'd like coffee," Jack told Trevoy.

"Alright, coming right up," Trevoy told them as he headed to the bar.

"Why on earth was Uncle Charles on a horse?" Elizabeth asked, still not able to reconcile the notion.

"He said he didn't want to wait for the stagecoach later in the week. He thought your aunt was still sick and wanted to get to her as soon as he could," Jack explained.

"Really?" Abigail asked, pleased with the news.

"Yeah," Jack acknowledged. "But why is your aunt so mad at him?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Aunt Olivia said they haven't been communicating well these days." She looked to the door, as though she was hoping Aunt Olivia and Uncle Charles would come walking through it.

"All their children moved away and sometimes that can put a strain on a marriage," Abigail informed Jack and Elizabeth. "They just need some time to talk about things. I'm sure they'll sort it all out."

"How long do you think that will take?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know," Abigail admitted. "Why?"

"Because you have rolls in the oven and beef stew on the stove," Elizabeth reminded Abigail. "I don't want our Sunday dinner to burn. And I certainly don't want our home to burn down!"

"Oh my!" Abigail exclaimed, startling Trevoy as he delivered their tea and coffee. "Sorry, Mr. Trevoy," she apologized to the bartender before turning back to Jack and Elizabeth. "I'll give them a little while longer, then perhaps I'll sneak in through the kitchen door to check on the food."

All three became quiet as they drank their tea and coffee. After several moments, Elizabeth leaned to Jack, putting her hand on his arm. "Thank you for rescuing my uncle from that runaway horse."

Jack's face lit up as he smiled. He covered her hand with his. "Anytime, ma'am," he replied with a laugh.

Abigail sipped her tea as she, once again, enjoyed watching Jack and Elizabeth's affectionate exchange.

After several minutes, all three decided to head back to the café. They went to the kitchen door and Abigail peeked inside. All was quiet inside. In fact, Olivia and Charles were nowhere in sight. Abigail turned back to Elizabeth and Jack. "They're not here."

"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she and Jack followed Abigail inside. She looked in the dining room and then headed upstairs. "Where could they have gone?" she asked as she came back downstairs.

"I don't know," Jack answered. "Perhaps they decided to take a walk and talk about things."

Olivia and Charles were indeed out walking. Olivia rushed out of the café shortly after the others left and Charles followed her. She sped down one of her usual walking paths, with Charles trailing her. He kept imploring her to talk to him.

Much to her chagrin, Olivia finally had to stop as she was getting out of breath. Charles caught up with her and stood behind her, unsure of what to do.

"Livy, what is wrong?" he asked. "I've come all this way because, when Kate told me you were sick. I was so worried..."

"Why?" Olivia asked sharply as she whirled around to face him. "Why are you all of a sudden so concerned? You certainly haven't been very concerned about me for months now!" Tears were welling in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks at any moment.

Charles realized just how upset his wife was, but still had no clue why she was so angry with him. He opened and closed his mouth several times, searching for what to say.

"I've been traveling over much of Canada and even the United States for weeks and weeks! Have I heard one word from my husband?" She forcefully shook her head. "When did you even notice I wasn't at home?"

Charles blinked against the vehement onslaught. "Olivia... Olivia..." was all he could stammer.

Olivia turned away as the tears fell down her cheeks. "No! It's clear to me that our marriage is over!" She was sobbing now. "You just don't love me anymore." She'd whispered the last line as her strength was giving out.

Charles's mouth dropped in horror. Fear and astonishment seemed to help him find his voice. "Olivia, no!" He tried to embrace her, but she pushed him away. He moved around to face her. "Olivia, of course I still love you!"

She refused to look at him. Instead, she looked down as the tears continued to slip down her cheeks. She placed her hand over her mouth to catch her sobs.

He reached for her arms and looked into her face intently. "Of course I still love you," he repeated. "You're my Livy." She turned away slightly but he followed her. "And what do you mean, I didn't notice you'd left? Of course, I knew you'd left! That house was so empty."

Olivia harrumphed her skeptical reply.

"Truth was, I didn't want you to go, but I figured you wanted to see the kids and your friends. Our house is pretty empty now that Vic is studying overseas," he told her. "I know you threw yourself into all those clubs and things because you missed the children. I certainly couldn't compete with the Ladies' Society, Garden Club, Women's Church Sodality, the Botanical Society, or your bridge were so busy with all those meetings!"

Olivia looked up at him, anger still ruling her face. "What are you talking about? You were so busy at work, how'd you even notice that I was going to meetings? After the children left, all you wanted to do was work, work, work! You certainly had no time for me!"

Anger was now clouding Charles' face. "No, no! You were the one who was so busy that you had no time for me! You were even taking your meals with William and Kate, for crying out loud! You wouldn't even eat with me!"

Olivia's expression softened. "I was only eating with them because you weren't there or were so busy you wouldn't even talk with me while we dined. I just felt so alone!"

Charles looked at his wife, as though he was seeing her for the first time. He exhaled sharply. "Well, it seems you and I have gotten ourselves into a heck of a pickle, Livy!"

She nodded. The tears had stopped and she was now looking at him, eager to hear what he had to say.

He bravely reached for her hands and she didn't resist. He met her gaze and assured her, "Livy, of course I still love you! How could I not love my fiery Livy?"

A smile curled at the corners of her mouth as the tears started to fill her eyes again, but this time they were brought on by her happiness at his words.

"I've loved you since you told me off in your father's office over twenty-eight years ago! Why on earth would you think I didn't?" he asked, exasperated.

Olivia sighed before answering. "I just... I just missed you so much! And when you worked more and more, I figured you were bored with me and didn't want to spend time with me anymore. I thought that we had become one of those old couples that..." she hesitated as a sob filled her throat. "One of those old couples that become roommates and don't like each other. You know the ones that call each other horrible names and tell people how much they can't wait for the other one to be gone!" She swallowed hard, trying to quell the sobs.

Charles shook his head as he slid his arms around her. Olivia leaned against him, her face buried in his neck. "Absolutely not!" He whispered into her hair. "I love you, Livy! Always have! Always will!"

They held their embrace for several minutes before Charles teased Olivia, "Besides, we can't become one of those old couples, Livy. If I called you a horrible name, you'd clean my clock!" They collapsed against each other in laughter.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

_"The most important thing in communication_

_is hearing what is not said."_

_~Peter Drucker_

"Well, dinner is ready," Abigail announced from the stove. "Why don't we sit down and enjoy our dinner before it's ruined. Olivia and Charles can eat when they come back."

Jack smiled as he grabbed the bowl of green beans and the plate of bread and carried them to the table. However, Elizabeth was hesitant. "Maybe we should go look for them."

"No," Jack told her. "Your aunt and uncle are adults. They've been married a long time. They have things to work out and they can do that without help. We should allow them their privacy."

Elizabeth exhaled slowly, realizing that, though she hated to admit it, Jack was indeed right. She grabbed the pitcher of lemonade and sat down at the table. Abigail joined her at the table, setting down the pot of stew before she sat down. Finally, Jack sat down next to Elizabeth.

"Let's give thanks," Abigail said. All three bowed their heads and held hands. "Dear God, thank you for all your blessings on this Sunday. Thank you for friends and family. We ask your special graces on Olivia and Charles. Bless the work of our hands and hearts as we begin another week. Thank you for this food we are about to enjoy. In your name we pray." "Amen," all three ended the prayer.

Abigail put her hand out, signaling Elizabeth to pass her plate. Elizabeth complied, handing Abigail her plate. At that moment, all of them were startled as the café door swung open and Olivia and Charles entered.

"Just in time!" Uncle Charles said around a laugh, spotting dinner on the table.

Abigail quickly noted that both Olivia and Charles were smiling. Elizabeth smiled when she saw that they were arm in arm.

"Please, join us," Abigail invited.

Charles gently steered Olivia to the table and they sat down opposite Elizabeth and Jack. There were several awkward moments of silence as everyone seated at the table had no idea what to say. Finally, it was Charles who broke the silence.

"So, Jack?" He asked, trying out the name that Olivia had told him. "Livy tells me that you're courting my niece."

Jack choked a bit on the sip of lemonade he'd just taken.

Elizabeth was absolutely flabbergasted. "Uncle Charles!" she exclaimed.

"Well, you are courting, aren't you?" Charles asked.

Elizabeth fumbled for words. Jack cleared his throat and coughed a couple more times.

"Oh, Charles," Olivia chided her husband. "You're embarrassing Elizabeth and Jack! Leave them alone!"

"Well, her father isn't here, so I feel I need to inquire as to his intentions in my brother's stead," Charles stated, eyeing Jack.

Jack inhaled, regaining his composure. "Mr. Thatcher," he began, "let me assure you that my intentions are honorable." He glanced at Elizabeth before continuing. "I greatly admire your niece. She's a beautiful person and..." Elizabeth smiled at him. "And she's an amazing teacher." He turned back to Charles. "Yes, we are courting. I can assure you that I will treat her with the utmost respect and I would never hurt her."

Charles looked sternly at Jack for a couple of moments before he broke into a laugh. "Relax, son. Livy has already been singing your praises! She's a pretty good judge of character, so if she tells me that you're an honorable young man, then that's all I need to know. I just had to have a little fun with you."

Jack relaxed a bit, but was still a bit unnerved.

"So, you took a walk?" Elizabeth asked, anxious to hear what had happened between her aunt and uncle.

"Yes, we did," Olivia answered. "I showed Charles some of Coal Valley. I showed him the new church and school building. It looks like it's almost finished."

"It is," Jack confirmed. "Adam tells me it should be complete in a few weeks."

"I can't wait!" Elizabeth chimed in.

Once again an uneasy silence descended on the group as Abigail silently served up the stew and they all began eating.

"Delicious, as usual," Jack complimented Abigail's dinner.

"Thank you," she replied.

"Livy told me we needed to get back here to eat because you are quite the cook. She was so right!" Charles complimented Abigail.

"Thank you! That's very kind of you both," Abigail told them.

Yet another awkward silence fell as everyone turned back to their plates. For the next few minutes, they ate in silence. Elizabeth kept looking back and forth between her aunt and uncle. Finally, she just couldn't contain the question she'd been wanting to ask since they'd come back from their walk. "Is everything alright with you two?" she blurted out.

Charles looked up, confused. Olivia's mouth curled up into a smile. "Yes, Elizabeth," she answered. "We had a nice walk and a very good talk." She looked at Charles and reached over to squeeze his hand.

Elizabeth exhaled in relief. "Thank goodness! I was so worried that you two..." she trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

Charles scoffed. "Beth, your aunt has put up with me for going on thirty years now. She's certainly not going to get rid of me so easily!" He reached over and squeezed his wife's hand .

Olivia turned to Elizabeth. "I guess we stopped following one of the most important rules, if not the most important rule, of marriage, which is that you have to talk." She looked into Charles' eyes. "I guess we thought since we'd been married so long that we didn't need to really talk anymore or we just didn't have anything else to say. That was wrong. If anything, we need to talk even more. I got busy with my things and Charles got busy with work. When we didn't have children in the house to keep the conversations going, we just stopped talking. Now, we have to remember how to talk without our children around." She laughed. Charles pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Abigail raised her glass of lemonade. "Here's to many more happy years together!" Everyone else picked up their glasses of lemonade and joined her toast. "Here, here!" Charles agreed heartily as they all drank the toast.

"I have a question," Elizabeth announced after the toast.

"What's that, dear?" Olivia asked.

"Is Mother coming here?" she inquired. "Because she was supposed to be on her way here and then you arrived, Uncle Charles."

"Kate's coming here?" Olivia asked Charles, confused.

Jack, too, was greatly interested in hearing the answer to Elizabeth's question.

Charles set his glass down and shook his head. "No, no. Kate isn't coming. I sent that telegram."

"You?" Elizabeth cried. "It was supposed to be from Mother. Why would you do that?"

"Because when Kate told me about the telegram you sent her, Elizabeth, she also, finally, told me about Livy's plan to go gallivanting all over North America to see if I'd miss her." Olivia ahot him a sharp look at first then gazed downward. "So, I wanted to be sure I'd surprise her. That's when I sent the telegram. As soon as I did, I thought it was a hare-brained thing to do, but it was sent. There was no way I could get it back."

"So, Mother was never coming here?" Elizabeth asked the question with just a tinge of sadness.

Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't realize it would make you sad."

Though he'd been quite relieved to hear that Elizabeth's mother wasn't coming to Coal Valley, he was concerned to see Elizabeth saddened. He touch his hand to her arm. She looked over and met his gaze. He smiled at her and her spirits lifted.

"Charles, you really shouldn't have done that!" Olivia admonished her husband. "Look how you've upset Elizabeth."

"No, no," Elizabeth asserted. "I'm fine. Hopefully I'll see Mother and Father soon."

Jack gently rubbed her forearm, consoling her. He and Elizabeth gazed at each other for a few moments.

Charles cleared his throat and decided to change the subject. "So, Beth, that's a nice church they're building. Livy told me that it will be your schoolhouse, too."

Jack and Elizabeth immediately broke their gaze and Jack pulled his hand back. "Yes," Elizabeth replied, "it will be nice to have a schoolhouse. I mean, the saloon has certainly been satisfactory but it will be good to not have to share with loud miners."

Olivia gently elbowed her husband. "Uh... is there anything the schoolhouse, or church, needs?" he asked.

Elizabeth wasn't sure what her uncle meant. "Well, Jack donated the money for the building supplies and..."

Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You donated the money to build the school?" he asked Jack.

Jack nodded his head. "Um, yes, sir."

"So, son, does your family have money?" Charles asked.

"Charles!" Olivia admonished but Charles gave her an innocent look, unsure what he'd done wrong.

"Oh, no... no, sir," Jack replied haltingly.

"Uncle Charles, Jack received some reward money for catching a gang of notorious bank robbers," Elizabeth explained as she looked at Jack admiringly. "He was brilliant." She turned back to her uncle. "And he very generously donated that money to build the church."

"And school," Jack added, winking at Elizabeth.

"I see," Charles acknowledged. "Well, is there anything else that's needed for your school?"

Elizabeth understood now. Her uncle was offering to make a donation. She shook her head. "That's not necessary, Uncle Charles. It really isn't." She looked anxiously at Jack, knowing how her family's money made him uncomfortable.

"We noticed the bell tower," Olivia interjected. "Do you have a bell for it?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Not yet, we were thinking about having some fundraisers to get one."

"Well, we'd like to donate the bell," she pronounced.

Elizabeth began to reject her aunt's offer but Jack spoke first. "That would be very generous of you. Thank you so much!"

Elizabeth looked at Jack, clearly surprised. Jack smiled at her and took her hand. "It is very generous and we appreciate it very much," he reiterated. Elizabeth smiled at him, understanding that he was taking a step toward making his peace with her family's wealth. She gave him a warm look that clearly stated she very much wanted to kiss him right now.

"Well, alright," Charles said loudly, startling Jack and Elizabeth back to the present moment. "That settles that. So, Livy," he turned to his wife, "when shall we leave to go see our lovely daughter and her family?"

Livy smiled. "Well, when's the next stagecoach? Because we sure aren't going to be taking that horse you rode into town!"

Everyone laughed.

"The next stagecoach back to Edmonton is Thursday, right?" Abigail asked Jack.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that's when it is. We can check with Ned in the morning to be sure," he replied.

"Well, then it looks like we'll have a couple of days here in Coal Valley," Charles mused. "So, what is there to do around here?"

Everyone else laughed at the question but Charles wasn't sure what was so funny. Olivia answered, "Well, we can take morning walks, and afternoon walks, and evening walks..."

"... and midnight walks!" Elizabeth added, laughing.

"Sir," Jack said to Charles, "If you enjoy hunting or fishing, I'd be happy to show you some of my favorite spots around here."

Olivia chuckled. "Charles hunting? Or fishing?"

Charles gave her a hurt look. "I'll have you know that I did some fishing in my bachelor days. I would go fly fishing with William."

"Which was what? Twenty… nine years ago?" she teased.

Charles pouted. "It's like riding a bike, my dear!"

Jack cleared his throat. "Well, if you'd like to try your hand at it again, sir, I've found some really nice trout in the streams around here."

"Jack is an excellent fisherman," Elizabeth interjected proudly.

"As is Elizabeth!" Jack announced.

"Really?" Olivia asked, surprised.

Jack nodded but Elizabeth added, "It was beginner's luck." She smiled at Jack before turning to her uncle. "I'm sure you'd enjoy it, Uncle Charles."

"Sounds like a grand idea, Jack," Charles agreed. "And, Livy?"

Olivia eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you prepared to clean and cook my catch?" he asked, winking at his wife.

"Oh, no," she disagreed. "You catch them. You clean them. You cook them!"

Laughter once again enveloped the table.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

_"Be faithful in small things_

_because it is in them that your strength lies."_

_~Mother Teresa_

Elizabeth was putting packing a picnic basket as Abigail finished cleaning the lunch dishes. She put in some bottles of lemonade and some slices of bread. Abigail noted that she was packing a full picnic despite the fact that Jack and Charles were supposed to be fishing for their lunch.

"You're packing a lot of food. Are you afraid Jack and your uncle didn't have much luck fishing?" Abigail asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I have no idea. I hope they did! It's just..." she struggled for words. "Well, fishing may not exactly be Uncle Charles' forte. He's not much of an outdoorsman."

"Ha!" Olivia scoffed, as she descended the stairs, buttoning the collar of her blouse. "That's an understatement! The man only goes outside to get in his motorcar!"

Abigail chuckled as she finished washing the last plate. "He could have beginner's luck and find out that he enjoys it a lot," she offered optimistically.

"I did! I had no idea fishing was so much fun!" Elizabeth declared. Abigail and Olivia exchanged knowing glances, suspecting that Elizabeth's enjoyment of fishing had more to do with the company of a certain constable than the activity itself.

Olivia walked over to her niece. "Did you think you packed enough sandwiches?" she asked. "I mean, just in case."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, I packed some. But, I really doubt we'll need them. I have faith in Jack's and Uncle Charles' fishing ability. " She closed the picnic basket. "Are you ready to go?"

Olivia nodded. "Yes. Let's go see how well this fishing expedition turned out." She still sounded skeptical about her husband's fishing ability and rolled her eyes at Abigail.

Elizabeth turned to Abigail. "You sure you don't want to join us? The lunch crowd cleared a bit early. We'd love to have you!"

Abigail shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to enjoy the opportunity to rest a bit. You enjoy! Have a good time!"

Elizabeth looked a bit concerned. Abigail had been quiet since Bill left and they still hadn't received any news from him about his new assignment. She quickly offered another silent prayer that Abigail would get good news today. "Okay, enjoy your afternoon," she told Abigail and then turned to her aunt. "Are you ready? We told them we'd be there five minutes ago!"

Olivia positioned her hat on her head. "Yes, let's go see if Jack was able to teach Charles how to fish," she said with a laugh.

Elizabeth sighed, a bit flustered with her aunt's pessimism, as she picked up the basket and headed for the door, and followed her aunt. "Have a nice afternoon," she told Abigail.

Abigail smiled. "You, too!" As the door closed behind Elizabeth and Olivia, Abigail grabbed a glass from the shelf and she poured herself a glass of lemonade. She headed into the living and sunk into a comfortable chair. As she pulled out the book she has been reading, she was startled by the cafe door opening.

"I'm sorry, we're closed," she called as she headed toward the dining room. She was shocked to see Henry Gowen walking toward her through the dining room. She hadn't seen him, except from a distance on the street, since the trial. She'd been dreading having to speak with him again.

"Mr. Gowen!" she said, her voice a bit louder and shriller than she'd hoped. She struggled to keep calm. "Did you come for the company's share of the profits? Those aren't due until the end of the month?"

Gowen scowled, as usual. "No, actually, I came to let you know that you needn't deliver the money to my office anymore. My new assistant, Mr. Richey, will be picking them up here from now on."

Abigail nodded. She felt this was actually good news. The less she had to deal with Henry Gowen, the better.

Gowen turned to leave but then swiveled around to face Abigail again. "Oh, and one other thing, Mrs. Stanton." He seemed to growl her name. "I did want to let you know that the company has appealed the ruling in your lawsuit to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. Judge Black's ridiculous ruling is not likely to stand according to the company's new lawyer. So, you might want to inform the other widows not to go spending the money. They'll likely never see a penny of it." He seemed to greatly enjoy delivering the message to Abigail.

Abigail was shocked by the news and, though her mind raced, she managed to keep her expression relatively placid. "That is your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it, Mr. Gowen. I, on the other hand, will continue to pray for, and fight for, justice for all the men who died because of your negligence."

"You mean Will Burns' negligence," he corrected.

Abigail shook her head. "No, I don't." She met his gaze, unblinking.

Gowen emitted a grunt as he turned and left the cafe.

Abigail collapsed into a chair at the kitchen table, reeling from Gowen's news. She hadn't even thought the company would appeal. Her mind flew through questions: How long would an appeal take? What were the chance a they would lose the appeal? Would Bill handle the appeal in court? A knock on the kitchen door shocked her out of her thoughts. She summoned her strength and went to answer it. She was pleasantly greeted with Cat Montgomery smiling at her.

"Hello, Abigail!" she began but her smiled faded when she saw Abigail's face. "Are you alright? You are as white as a sheet?" she asked, concerned, as she walked through the door and followed Abigail to the table, where they both sat.

Abigail shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she assured her friend.

Cat didn't look convinced. "Did I see Gowen walking away from here? What did he want?"

Abigail took a deep breath. "He came to take great pleasure in sharing some bad news."

"Bad news?" Cat asked, her forehead creasing with concern.

Abigail nodded. "Yes. It seems the company has appealed Judge Black's ruling to the Supreme Court."

Cat exhaled sharply, "Oh! It figures that those scoundrels would try to weasel out of doing the right thing, even when they're ordered to do it!"

Abigail nodded. "I'll send Bill Avery a telegram to see what we need to do now."

"Oh!" Cat exclaimed. "That's why I'm here. I was at the Mercantile and Ned Yost asked me to deliver this telegram to you. It's from Inspector Avery." She handed the telegram envelope to Abigail.

Abigail took the envelope and quickly opened it. Her eyes flew over the paper, taking in Bill's message.

"Well, any good news?" Cat asked. She knew her friend and the inspector had grown close during his time in Coal Valley. Abigail had seemed truly happy for the first time since the mine explosion.

Abigail looked up. "His new assignment is in Edmonton."

"That's not too far away," Cat observed. "That's pretty good news, right?"

Abigail nodded. "Yes, that's better than I'd feared," she admitted to her good friend. "And he already knows about the appeal. So, his post in Edmonton is a good thing since the Supreme Court is located there."

Cat reached over and squeezed Abigail's hand. "All will work out, Abigail. It's all well in the Good Lord's hands." She smiled.

Abigail smiled back. "I know." She folded the telegram and returned it to its envelope before placing it in her skirt pocket. She inhaled and turned back to Cat. "Can I interest you in a cup of tea?"

Cat smiled wider. "It's been awhile since we've chatted over some tea. I'd love it!"


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

_"Having a place to go is a home. _

_Having someone to love is a family._

_Having both is a blessing."_

_~Donna Hedges_

Thursday arrived, and it was time for Aunt Olivia and Uncle Charles to leave Coal Valley and head to their daughter's home in British Columbia. They were sitting in Abigail's Cafe with Elizabeth, Jack, and Abigail enjoying conversation and one last cup of coffee before the stagecoach arrived. The room was filled with laughter and everyone talking at once.

Jack pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. "Looks like the stagecoach is late," he observed.

"When is it on time?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh.

"Well, I hate to leave such wonderful company, but I think I've postponed my rounds as long as I can," Jack told the group.

As he slid his chair back, he thanked Abigail for the coffee. He moved toward Olivia but hesitated, unsure of whether to reach for her hand or attempt a hug. "It was wonderful to meet you, Jack," she said brightly as she stood. Then she surprised Jack by gathering him into a big hug. She squeezed him tightly and said in a low voice, "Bring our Beth home to visit. I know the rest of the family would love to meet you, especially her parents."

Jack's eyes widened as a momentary flash of fear crossed them. The thought of meeting Elizabeth's parents was intimidating even for the brave Mountie. He forced the thought to the back of his mind as Olivia released him.

He turned to Charles and extended his hand. "Have a safe trip, sir." Charles took Jack's hand and shook it vigorously while placing his free hand on Jack's shoulder. "Thank you for taking me fishing. That was the best fish I think I've ever tasted in my life! Probably because I caught it myself!" He chuckled. "Thank you for everything, Jack!" He slapped Jack's arm. "And take care of our Beth here."

Jack glanced over at Elizabeth, whose cheeks flushed a bit as she smiled. He turned back to Charles and looked him squarely in the eyes. "You have my word that I will, sir," he assured. Charles nodded his acknowledgment of Jack's promise.

"And take care of yourself, too, out here in the wild West," Olivia added loudly, prompting some laughter.

Jack tipped his hat to Abigail and, as he squeezed Elizabeth's elbow' he whispered, "I'll see you later."

"You will," she smiled.

Jack headed to the door, donning his hat as he walked. He left the café and the remaining company sat in silence, drinking their coffees. After a few moments, the sound of the stagecoach broke their silence.

"Well, sounds like the stagecoach has finally made it," Abigail announced. She noted that the three others all looked down sadly. She decided to make her goodbyes quickly and leave the last few minutes for Elizabeth to have privately with her aunt and uncle.

"Olivia," she said, standing up, "it was a joy getting to know you! Do come back and visit us when you can. And have a wonderful time visiting your daughter and her family!"

Abigail and Olivia hugged. "It's a blessing to know that our Beth has such a dear friend here. God bless you, Abigail! I hope we meet again very soon!"

They broke their hug and held hands briefly before Abigail turned to Charles. "I wish you both much happiness and laughter," she offered meaningfully. "Safe travels!"

She retreated to the kitchen as the others headed outside.

The stagecoach had just stopped and the driver was opening the door of the coach. A tall, older lady exited and stood next to the stagecoach. She was wearing a black, high collared dress with a small silver pin at the neck. She stood very straight with her hands clasped in front of her waist as she waited for the driver to remove her luggage from the luggage rack. The driver handed her a bag and a guitar case.

Elizabeth and Olivia had stopped next to the stagecoach door and were watching the woman. They exchanged surprised glances when the driver handed the woman the guitar. She looked far too prim and proper to be a guitar player.

The woman took her things from the driver and asked him, "Where might I find the town constable?" The driver appeared troubled by her question. "Ma'am, is there a problem?" The women appeared to be taken aback by his question. "No," she answered bluntly. "Well, then, why are you asking for the constable?" the driver asked. The woman stood a bit straighter and her jaw set. "That is my business, sir. Now where might I find him?" she asked sternly. The driver looked around, seeming to be at a loss. "Ummm... well, the jailhouse is right over there. He might be there..." he fumbled. "Thank you," the women offered as she turned to head across the street towards the jailhouse.

Elizabeth watched the woman walk away, intrigued. Olivia turned to Elizabeth and whispered, "I wonder what that is all about? I hope it's not any trouble for our dear Jack!" Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm sure Jack can handle it."

She turned to face her aunt. "I'm going to miss you so much! I am so glad you came!" Tears began to fill her eyes. The two women held each other for several seconds as Charles supervised the driver loading their bags. Olivia and Elizabeth broke their hug and Olivia kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "You come home for a visit soon!" she ordered. Elizabeth nodded.

"MOTHER?!"

The exclamation piercing the relative calmness of Main Street startled all of them. Elizabeth, Olivia, Charles, and the stagecoach driver immediately looked toward the jailhouse. Jack had quickly descended the stairs and was now hugging the woman who'd arrived on the coach. Elizabeth took a couple of steps closer, so the stagecoach didn't block her view.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked as he and his mother broke their hug momentarily.

"I came to check on my boy. I haven't seen you since you finished the academy. And, though I know I taught you better, you don't write me very much at all," she lightly scolded.

Jack dropped his head. "I know. I'm sorry, Ma. It's just I've been very busy..."

"So I heard," his mother interjected. "I read the news about you capturing that gang of bank robbers. And then Muriel Dakin was all too happy to share news that she'd heard from her nephew Ralph. I believe you two attended the academy together?"

Jack nodded.

"Well, she told me that you had turned down a posting in Cape Fullerton." Her brow furrowed, studying her son. "I know that was a position you very much wanted."

Jack just smiled back at his mother and then bent down to pick up her bag from where she'd set it in the street. He noticed the guitar case next to her bag and looked up at her questioningly. She nodded. "I thought you might want it."

Jack laughed as he picked up the guitar. "I'm not sure I even remember how to play it, it's been so long!" He motioned for his mother to head towards the jailhouse. "I can't believe you're here!"

"It's been too long since I cooked a hot meal for my son," his mother continued. "I decided I should come see how you are doing." She glanced around town briefly. "And to see why you decided to stay in this Coal Valley." She smiled and hugged Jack again.

As she watched the exchange between Jack and his mother, Elizabeth's hand went to her neckline and her fingers fumbled with the lace nervously. She couldn't hear their conversation and wanted desperately to know what they were saying to each other.

Olivia came up behind Elizabeth and placed her hand on her niece's shoulder. She looked over at Jack hugging his mother. Then, she studied Elizabeth, who was obviously quite unsettled. "Charles," she called to her husband. "Maybe we should stay a little longer. I think Elizabeth might need..." She thought better of that and changed tactics, "I mean I might need a little more rest before the long trip to Victoria."

Charles shook his head. "Oh no, Livy. I know what you're thinking. Beth will be just fine."

Olivia shook her head. "No, I really think she might need our support."

Elizabeth had turned around to her aunt. "Aunt Olivia, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine." She tried to sound convincing, though her stomach was in knots and her palms were sweaty. "It'll be so nice meeting Jack's mother." She took a deep breath and smiled, summoning all her strength and confidence. Olivia looked skeptical.

Charles didn't waste a minute. "I'm sure Beth will handle things just fine on her own. She's doing very well out here," he said emphatically. He gave his niece a hug. "Thank you for everything, Beth. You take care and come visit your family soon!" He took his wife's arm, pulling her toward the stagecoach door. "Come along, dear!"

Olivia scowled at Charles as she broke away to give Elizabeth one last hug and kiss. "Take care, dear!" Charles grabbed her arm again and Olivia looked sharply at him. "Let me help you up the steps, Livy," he offered, smiling. Olivia softened her expression and accepted her husband's assistance.

Once they were both seated in the coach and the door was closed, Olivia reached through the window for Elizabeth's hand. "Be sure to write, dear. I want to hear everything!" She offered a knowing wink to Elizabeth. Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. Then, the stagecoach started with a lurch as the driver urged the team to start the journey. Elizabeth released her aunt's hand and waved as the stagecoach headed down the road.

Then, she turned toward the jailhouse and saw Jack carrying his mother's bag as followed his mother up the stairs to the jailhouse. Just before he entered the jailhouse and closed the door behind him, he caught sight of Elizabeth watching him. He stopped for a moment and smiled at her. Elizabeth's face brightened when she saw his smile. Then, he gave her a quick nod before shutting the door behind him.

Elizabeth exhaled slowly, realizing only then that she'd been holding her breath. She felt overwhelmed! She walked quickly back to the café, anxious to share the news of Jack's mother's arrival with Abigail. Elizabeth glanced over at the jailhouse again before opening the door to the café. So many questions flooded her mind: What was Jack's mother doing here? What would Jack tell his mother about her? What would his mother think of her? Then she remembered Jack's last words to her, that he would see her later. Would his mother be with him? What would she say to his mother? She opened the door to the café and headed inside.

"Abigail?" she called to her dear friend. Perhaps she would have some of her usual, invaluable advice. Elizabeth very much hoped so!

**The End**

* * *

><p>Final Notes: It is with joy and sadness that I finish this story: joy at completing the story I wanted to tell, sadness that it is done. I've very much enjoyed this whole experience! I had toyed with writing short stories and such but had never, ever posted anything to share with "the public" until this. It took me weeks of gut-wrenching tribulation before I finally logged in to and hit that SUBMIT button! It was so scary! But, then, your very generous reviews started arriving and they gave me the confidence to continue posting chapters. I was humbled and uplifted by your kind words! Thank you so very much! As for the ending: Yes, I know I gave you a cliffhanger. It was the ending that I'd envisioned from the moment this story began to fester in my mind. I have some ideas about where to go from here and some ideas for more stories about some of the other citizens of Coal Valley. God willing (and time willing), I hope to share those stories in the near future. Thanks you so much for reading! God bless!<p>

* * *

><p>NotesDisclaimer: Thank you for reading! This is just my vision of where Season 2 may take us. It was a lot of fun to write- hope you enjoyed it, too! Please post a review if you have a minute! The Hallmark Channel/Crown Media, Believe Pictures, and Motion Picture Corporation of America own these characters (except for Aunt Olivia, Uncle Charles, and Will Burns- all of whom are products of my tangled imagination). I'm just playing with them for awhile and promise to return them relatively unscathed! Many thanks to Janette Oke, Michael Landon Jr., Brian Bird, Brad Krevoy, the entire cast and crew of When Calls the Heart, and all of the Hearties. Y'all rock!


End file.
